16 online grocery stores in Noida, adjoining areas issued notices over hygiene lapses ahead of Diwali

The Gautam Budh Nagar food safety department inspected 18 establishments over two days and collected three food samples for laboratory testing, officials said.

The Gautam Budh Nagar food safety department has issued improvement notices to 16 online grocery warehouses and stores after inspections ahead of Diwali found inadequate cleanliness and missing mandatory records.

The inspections covered online grocery storage and distribution facilities across Noida, Greater Noida and Dadri. (Representative)

The department inspected 18 establishments over two days and collected three food samples for laboratory testing, officials said.

The inspections covered online grocery storage and distribution facilities across Noida, Greater Noida and Dadri, with officials checking hygiene arrangements, food storage practices and compliance with food safety requirements.

What the inspections found

At a store in Noida Sector 135, the inspection team found an unclean and disorganised cold room and stopped its operations until the necessary corrective measures were undertaken. The establishment was also issued an improvement notice for failing to produce the required records.

“Inspections were conducted at 18 warehouses and stores operated by online platforms. Improvement notices were issued to 16 establishments, and three food samples were collected and sent for testing,” Sarvesh Mishra, assistant commissioner (food), second division, said.

The inspections were conducted on the district magistrate's directions to ensure that residents receive food and beverages meeting prescribed safety standards during the festive season.

In Greater Noida's Ecotech 3, inspections of two warehouses found inadequate cleanliness and the non-availability of required records at the premises. Another establishment in the area was also issued an improvement notice after deficiencies were found.

In Dadri, officials inspected two online grocery facilities. A sample of paneer was collected from one establishment, where the team also found inadequate cleanliness and the required documents were not produced during the inspection.

Three stores, one each in Greater Noida's Surajpur and Beta 1 areas as well as Noida's Sector 62, were issued improvement notices over hygiene deficiencies and the failure to produce mandatory records. A sample of groundnuts was collected from the Surajpur store.

The department also inspected facilities in P-1, P-3 and Mathurapur in Greater Noida, Itahera in Ecotech 4, Sector 128 and Shahdara in Noida, and Tugalpur. These inspections revealed deficiencies in the availability of mandatory documentation, prompting the department to issue improvement notices.

The records sought by officials included health certificates of workers, pest-control reports and standard operating procedures specifying how long before expiry food products must be removed from stores. Officials said establishments had been directed to maintain these documents on their premises and produce them whenever required.

A sample of sesame oil was collected from an establishment in Mathurapur, Greater Noida. Along with the paneer and groundnut samples, it will be tested to check compliance with prescribed food safety standards.

“All establishments have been strictly warned to keep the necessary records available at their stores and ensure compliance with food safety provisions while procuring and supplying food products to consumers,” Mishra said.

The department said the inspection drive would continue with further checks and sample collection planned to ensure that food supplied to residents meets prescribed standards.