Amid a massive crackdown on food safety violations in Bengaluru, authorities have now seized expired and mislabelled food products worth ₹1.38 crore and medicines valued at around ₹4 lakh from dark stores and storage facilities operated by online delivery platforms.
The inspections were carried out by the Food Safety and Drugs Administration following directions from Health Minister U T Khader under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, according to officials, news agency PTI reported.
The operation focused on products being sold through online and e-commerce platforms, with officials checking mandatory labelling details including the date of manufacture, expiry date and shelf life, along with other food safety requirements. They also checked whether medicines were being stored without the licences required under law.
What officials found
At Amazon's BLR6 facility at Hitech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli, officials seized food products worth ₹14 lakh for incorrect or inadequate labelling and expired food products worth ₹10 lakh. Drugs worth ₹2,45,352, allegedly stored without a licence, were also seized from the facility, according to a statement issued by the department.
{{/usCountry}}At Amazon's BLR6 facility at Hitech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli, officials seized food products worth ₹14 lakh for incorrect or inadequate labelling and expired food products worth ₹10 lakh. Drugs worth ₹2,45,352, allegedly stored without a licence, were also seized from the facility, according to a statement issued by the department.
{{/usCountry}}At Amazon's BLR7 facility in Anekal taluk, officials seized food products worth ₹19 lakh for incorrect or inadequate labelling and expired food products worth ₹13 lakh. Medicines worth ₹1.57 lakh that were being stored without a licence were also seized.
The department also detected expired food products at Saptha Bazaar in HBR Layout after receiving a complaint that the establishment was buying groceries, milk, vegetables, curd and other food products from online delivery agencies and reselling expired items.
Food Safety Officers seized expired products including cashew biscuits, ragi flour, chicken patties, paneer, cookies, nuts, eggs and flour worth around ₹10,000, the department said, according to the report.
At Leo 7 Enterprises in Lingarajapuram, officials found nutritional products, beverages, chocolates, sweets, ghee and nuts and seeds that were either expired or nearing expiry, Food Safety and Drugs Administration Commissioner Srinivas K said in the statement.
"During the inspection conducted at Leo 7 Enterprises, located in Lingarajapuram, Bengaluru, it was found that various food products, including nutritional products, beverages, chocolates, sweets, ghee and nuts and seeds, which were either expired or nearing expiry, were being stored," Srinivas K, Commissioner of Food Safety and Drugs Administration, said in the statement.
The owner told officials that food products worth approximately ₹56 lakh were stored at the premises. The premises were subsequently sealed, officials said.
At the Instamart facility in Hoskote in Bengaluru Rural district, expired food products worth ₹42 lakh were seized, Srinivas K said.
"During the inspection of the Instamart facility located in Hoskote, Bengaluru Rural district, expired food products worth ₹42 lakh were seized," he said.
The facility was closed because of unhygienic conditions and violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act and applicable rules, he said.
Overall, the operation resulted in the seizure of food products worth ₹33 lakh for incorrect or inadequate labelling and expired or near-expiry food products worth ₹1.05 crore. The total value of seized food products stood at ₹1.38 crore.
Medicines valued at ₹4.02 lakh and stored without licences were seized as well, the department said.
The investigation at the Instamart facility is still underway, with expired and mislabelled products valued at around ₹1 crore being examined, the department said.
Bengaluru top hotels were also under scanner
The latest action comes about a month after several luxury hotels in Bengaluru were reportedly placed under the scanner following food safety violations flagged by the Food Safety and Drug Administration department.
The department's Food Safety Wing had launched a special inspection drive covering 26 three-star and five-star hotels, where officials found violations including unhygienic storage, fungal growth on vegetables and inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.
Rotten meat, chicken and fish, along with expired bakery products, were among the items seized from hotels under the scanner, news agency ANI reported, citing an FDA statement.
(With inputs from agencies)