FDA suspends Blinkit facility's licence over 'cockroach infestation'; Reliance Retail outlet under lens over worms in sweet

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of a Blink Commerce facility in Mumbai over extensive "cockroach infestation" and improper item storage, while an outlet of Reliance Retail is under the lens after live larvae were allegedly found in a popular sweet variety, officials said on Monday.

These violations came to light as the FDA stepped up its state-wide enforcement of food safety standards under its new commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe.

Also read: Kitchen checks give restaurants, hotels food for thought


In a statement issued to the media, the regulatory agency said it acted against Reliance Retail Ltd's outlet at ARD Cinemall in Buldhana district after receiving a complaint that live larvae were found in 'Laxmi Narayan' brand of packaged 'kaju katli' (a popular traditional Indian sweet) kept at the store.

A prompt inspection found that the complained-about batch, manufactured on May 29 and due to expire on August 29, was not available at the outlet. However, another batch manufactured on July 20 and valid until October 20 was found, and a food sample was collected, the statement said.

The FDA seized 54 boxes weighing 11.340 kg and valued at Rs 10,238 from the available stock. The sample has been sent to an authorised food laboratory for analysis, and further legal action will be initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, based on the laboratory report, it said.

In a more stringent action, the state agency suspended the food licence of Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd's establishment at Sarvodaya Bhuvan in Malad (West), Mumbai, citing serious food safety violations.

An inspection of the facility on August 7 found extremely unhygienic conditions, extensive cockroach infestation, improper storage of food, inadequate cleanliness in the cold storage, expired and tampered packaged food, and non-compliance with FIFO/FEFO (First-In, First-Out and First-Expired, First-Out) practices, the FDA said.

The food safety watchdog also found inadequate pest and rodent control, shortcomings in waste management and maintenance, absence of medical examination and health records of food handlers, and a lack of necessary personal hygiene and protective equipment, according to the statement.

A large cockroach infestation was detected in the vegetable and fruit storage areas, posing a serious risk of contamination, while expired, damaged or tampered packages were found in the cold room at the facility, it said.

The establishment's licence, bearing number 11524010000119, was suspended with immediate effect and until further orders under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act and relevant regulations, the FDA said. The establishment has been barred from selling, distributing or conducting food business during the suspension period.

A wider crackdown

The action against Blinkit and Reliance Retail follows a series of similar enforcement drives by food safety authorities across states in recent weeks. In Bengaluru, Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration Department inspected 26 three-star and five-star hotels on August 7, deploying 30 teams across all zones under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.

The biggest haul came from Radisson Blu (The Atria), where officials seized 105 kg of expired food, including 50 kg of chicken, 25 kg of meat, 23 kg of fish and 7 kg of vegetables. Inspectors also recovered 76 kg of meat and 200 kg of vegetables from The Lalit Ashok, 15 kg of meat from Shangri-La, and 72 kg of meat and seafood from Taj Yeshwantpur. The department collected 35 food samples, including chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, milk, spices, cheese and tomato sauce, for laboratory analysis.

Also read: From 105 kg expired food & 32 litres of milk to 50 kg chicken and rotten veggies: What FDA found inside Bengaluru’s 3-star and 5-star hotel kitchens will shock you

Officials found unhygienic kitchen and storage areas, expired milk and bakery products, fungal growth on vegetables, misbranded items that did not meet FSSAI labelling norms, and a failure to maintain separate storage for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Notices have been issued to the hotels, with further legal action to depend on lab reports.

The Bengaluru drive came days after the Maharashtra FDA suspended food licences of six restaurants and eateries, including a high-end South Mumbai establishment, and follows a separate crackdown in which IIT-Bombay canteens were shut and five clubs in Mumbai lost their licences over hygiene lapses.

With inputs from PTI