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Cockroach infestation, expired food: Blinkit food licence suspended over violations at Mumbai facility
Food articles were found stashed on rusted racks, inadequate cleanliness was also found in the cold storage, with stocks of expired or spoiled packaged food.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd, the corporate entity that operates the quick commerce brand Blinkit, after an inspection of its Malad (West) facility by food safety officers revealed severe hygiene and food-safety violations, including large-scale cockroach infestation, improperly stored food, and expired and tampered products.
Food articles were found stashed on rusted racks, inadequate cleanliness was also found in the cold storage areas, with stocks of expired or spoiled packaged food.
Blinkit did not respond to HT’s calls for a reaction on the FDA action.
Hand over expired goods to FDA: HC to Amazon
Meanwhile, days after reprimanding the Maharashtra FDA for its drastic action against a warehouse of Amazon Retail India, the Bombay high court (HC) on Monday directed the e-commerce giant to hand over all expired and perished goods from the Bhiwandi-based facility to the agency for scientific disposal.
A bench of acting chief justice Ravindra Ghuge and justice Gautam Ankhad also directed FDA to file its affidavit in response to Amazon’s plea challenging its warehouse’s licence suspension by August 27.
Amazon Retail India moved the HC after the FDA took action against its warehouse in Bhiwandi, Thane district, for allegedly sending expired food into the retail market instead of destroying it.
As a stopgap arrangement, the court on Monday said that the petitioner shall prepare an inventory of all its expired and perished items from this warehouse and hand them over to the concerned FDA officer.
Also Read: No junk food sale allowed in school canteens, shops nearby: Big FDA action in Maharashtra
The officer will then take steps, as mandated in law, to dispose of the items, it stated, adding that Amazon will have to bear the cost for the exercise.
