Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of a Blinkit warehouse in Mumbai and launched action against a Reliance Retail outlet after inspections uncovered alleged food safety violations.

According to the FDA, a Blink Commerce Pvt. Ltd. facility in Malad (West) was found operating under extremely unhygienic conditions, with a large scale cockroach infestation in fruit and vegetable storage areas. Officials also reported improper food storage, expired and tampered packaged food, poor cold storage maintenance, inadequate pest control, and failure to follow FIFO/FEFO inventory practices.

The inspection further revealed shortcomings in waste management, lack of hygiene among food handlers, and the absence of mandatory medical records and protective equipment for staff.

Citing serious violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act, the FDA suspended the facility's food licence with immediate effect. The warehouse will not be allowed to sell, distribute, or handle food products until further orders.

Reliance Retail Outlet Under Investigation

In a separate case, the FDA inspected a Reliance Retail outlet in Maharashtra's Buldhana district after a consumer complaint alleged that fungus and live worms were found in Laxmi Narayan brand Kaju Katli.

During the inspection, officials seized 54 boxes of Kaju Katli, weighing approximately 11.34 kg, and sent samples to a government laboratory for testing.

The FDA said further legal action will depend on the laboratory analysis report and will be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, if violations are confirmed.

FDA Intensifies Food Safety Checks

The action is part of Maharashtra FDA's ongoing drive to strengthen food safety compliance across retail stores and warehouses. Officials have warned that businesses failing to maintain hygiene standards or violating food safety regulations will face strict legal action.