The Commission of Food Safety, Telangana, has raided Blinkit's warehouse in Telangana's Medchal Malkajgiri district. As per the commission, several safety measures were not followed by Zomato led Blinkit.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the commission highlighted that the premises were found to be very disorganized, unhygienic, and dusty, particularly around the storage racks. The commission further highlighted that there was no Food Safety Training and Certification (Fostac) trainee available, and food handlers were working without headgear, gloves, or aprons.
Additionally, medical fitness certificates for the food handlers were not available, and cosmetic products were improperly stored alongside food items, according to the commission. While highlighting that notice will be issued and further action will be carried out, the commission said, “The license of Whole Farm Congruence Trade and Services Pvt. Ltd. was not as per the FSS Act.”
Reacting to the incident, the company spokesperson for Blinkit said, "We take safety and hygiene standards very seriously. We are closely working with our warehouse partner and the Food safety department to implement corrective actions from the findings."
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The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act) consolidates food laws and establishes the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to set science-based standards and regulate the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food, ensuring safe and wholesome food for consumption.
The commission has also mentioned that they ceased “suspected infested Whole Farm Ragi flour and Toor dal worth Rs. 52,000." The samples for the same have been sent to the lab.
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Additionally, the products manufactured by Kamakshi Foods were found to be expired, leading to the seizure of VSR's Suji, Raw Peanut Butter, Maida, Poha, Besan, and Bajra worth Rs. 30,000, according to the commission.
Following the incident, social media is filled with users talking about the recent raid, with many questioning the Quick Commerce platform. One X user even complained about “suspicious overwriting on the manufacturing date” after allegedly receiving stale milk.
This is coming at a time when the competition in the quick commerce space is intensifying. After turning EBITDA positive for March, Zomato’s Blinkit has increased its focus on store expansion. The company aims to have 1,000 dark stores by March 2025.
