The latest food safety crackdown in Maharashtra and Karnataka has put quick-commerce stores, warehouses, food manufacturers, and hotels under scrutiny, with officials finding expired products, hygiene violations and suspected adulteration. In Maharashtra, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), led by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, has taken action against several establishments, with a Blinkit facility in Malad West among the latest establishments facing action.

Blinkit dark store in Mumbai

The Maharashtra FDA suspended the food licence of Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd’s dark store in Malad West after an inspection found serious hygiene violations. Officials found cockroaches on stored fruits and vegetables, along with expired food and other sanitation lapses. The facility has been barred from carrying out food-related activities until further orders.

Amazon warehouse in Bhiwandi

The FDA’s action against Amazon Retail India’s warehouse in Bhiwandi relates to allegations that expired and deteriorated food products were not destroyed as required and were instead diverted toward sale.

At Swagat Oil Industries, officials seized 66,652.6 kg of oil worth ₹1.05 crore and suspended the unit’s FSSAI licence after allegedly finding reused tins and oil from the same tank being packed and sold under different labels. At Charkha Oil Mill, another 45,995.7 kg worth ₹78 lakh was seized over reused tins, labelling irregularities and unhygienic conditions.

The FDA also seized oil from Jai Hanuman Traders, Janhavi Commercials and Vinayak Oil Industries, and suspended licences or shut the units involved. 27 samples from the five establishments were sent for laboratory testing.

Other FDA actions in Maharashtra

• 
  Buldhana: The FDA seized 54 boxes of cashew pieces weighing 11.340 kg after a complaint about fungal growth and live insects, although the specific batch named in the complaint was not found
• 
  Jalgaon: Officials seized 87,320 litres of packaged drinking water worth ₹8 lakh from Anita Industries
• 
  Nagpur: The FDA seized 9,827 kg of rusk worth ₹14.13 lakhs from Ajit Delight Pvt Ltd over labelling violations involving artificial sweetener INS 951
• 
  Kolhapur: Officials seized 450 kg of jaggery and 500 kg of white crystal sugar, citing unhygienic manufacturing conditions and suspected adulteration.
• 
  Nagpur: The FDA said 13,866 kg of curd and cheese analogue worth ₹12 lakh was destroyed under the state’s notification prohibiting cheese analogue.
• 
  Ulhasnagar: Officials seized 99 kg of low-fat paneer worth ₹34,650 over suspected quality and storage violations

 
The FDA has also banned the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and sale of unstandardised analogue and non-dairy paneer across Maharashtra for one year. Violators can face up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of one lakh.

Maharashtra FDA plans milk traceability

Alongside these inspections, the Maharashtra FDA is planning an end-to-end digital system to track milk from its source to the consumer. According to a report by The Hindu, the proposed portal will link milk collection data with information about the milch animals producing the milk, allowing officials to identify discrepancies in production and supply. The plan is still at an early stage and will be rolled out after a detailed project report is finalised.

Karnataka FDA crackdown: 26 Bengaluru hotels inspected

In Karnataka, the FDA inspected 26 three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru, where officials found expired food, rotten meat, fungal-affected vegetables and unhygienic storage conditions. Food safety notices were issued to establishments where violations were detected, while 35 food samples were collected for laboratory analysis.

The inspections covered hotels including Radisson Blu Atrium, The Lalit Ashok, Shangri-La Bengaluru, Four Seasons Hotel, Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield and Taj Yeshwantpur. At Radisson Blu, The Atrium, officials found expired chicken, meat, fish and vegetables, while The Lalit Ashok was found with expired milk, meat and vegetables. Expired bakery products were also found at Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield, and meat and fish were seized from Taj Yeshwantpur.

In a separate Bengaluru inspection, the FDA shut the kitchen of Skyye Lounge at UB City after finding rotten meat and other food safety violations.