Food safety crackdown: Maharashtra FDA inspects 86 quick-commerce facilities, issues 60 improvement notices and suspends 14 licences over serious lapses.
BY PC Bureau
August 14, 2026: Fourteen food establishments linked to major quick-commerce platforms have had their licences suspended in Maharashtra following a statewide inspection drive that uncovered a range of food safety and hygiene lapses, including expired products, pest infestations and improper storage conditions.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carried out inspections at 86 establishments involved in the storage, sale and delivery of food through online platforms across the state on Thursday.
The inspections resulted in 60 improvement notices and the temporary closure of one facility. Of the 14 licences suspended, five were linked to Blinkit, five to Zepto and two to Instamart.
BLINKIT FACILITIES FLAGGED FOR HYGIENE, STORAGE VIOLATIONS
At a Blinkit facility in Malad West, Mumbai, the FDA suspended the establishment’s FSSAI licence after inspectors found several shortcomings.
The chiller room was operating at 6°C, above the prescribed temperature. The facility also did not have medical examination records for around 40 food handlers, while several employees were found working without appropriate headgear, aprons and gloves.
A separate Blinkit facility in Ghatkopar was found to have inadequate drainage and waste-disposal arrangements, problems with temperature control for frozen products and exposed lighting fixtures in an area where unpackaged food was stored.
The premises also suffered from poor housekeeping, damaged ceilings and flooring, inadequate segregation of food products and a cockroach infestation. The facility scored 34 out of 74, or 46%, during the inspection and was classified as non-compliant.
ZEPTO FACILITY HAD EXPIRED PRODUCTS
A Zepto facility in Pune’s Lohegaon was among those whose licence was suspended after inspectors found several violations, including food products stored beyond their declared “Use By” dates.
Officials also found that the facility was not following FIFO and FEFO inventory practices, while storage areas were unhygienic and pest-control measures inadequate.
Deficiencies in personal hygiene and cold-storage temperature control were also recorded. The FDA subsequently found the facility’s response during the hearing unsatisfactory. Other Zepto facilities in Mumbai were issued notices following inspections.
INSTAMART SITES HIT BY PEST AND HYGIENE ISSUES
Several facilities associated with Instamart were also found to have significant food safety problems.
At Swinsta ENT Pvt Ltd in Pune’s Warje Jakat Naka, the FDA suspended the licence after inspectors found an active cockroach infestation, lapses in maintaining the cold chain for frozen food and problems with temperature control, hygiene and pest management.
At another facility on Hill Road in Bandra West, Mumbai, inspectors found substantial rodent droppings near food packages along with a lizard infestation. Rusted storage racks and other hygiene deficiencies were also reported. The establishment scored 63 out of 140 during the inspection.
At a Rajidi Retail facility associated with Instamart in Azad Nagar, Andheri West, officials discovered expired Zorabian Chicken Curry Cut stored at 8°C, outside the prescribed 0–4°C range. The expired stock was immediately discarded.
An Instamart facility on Mahakali Caves Road in Andheri East was also found to have overcrowded storage areas, no air curtains at the main entrances and food bags placed directly on the floor.
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BOLLYWOOD CAFE RAIDED AT FILM CITY
The FDA inspection drive also extended beyond quick-commerce warehouses.
Officials raided Bollywood Cafe at Dadasaheb Phalke Film City in Goregaon East, Mumbai, where they found food being prepared in unhygienic conditions.
Inspectors reported a heavy fly infestation, dirty drains and food being prepared on rusty and unclean surfaces. Proceedings were initiated under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The statewide inspections highlight growing regulatory scrutiny of food handled through quick-commerce networks, where rapid delivery depends on extensive networks of warehouses and storage facilities. The FDA action underscores that speed of delivery cannot come at the expense of basic food safety, hygiene and storage standards.
