The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of a Blinkit facility in Mumbai. Additionally, a Reliance Retail outlet is now under scrutiny following recent inspections conducted by the FDA. These actions highlight ongoing regulatory oversight in the food sector in the region.
The complaint about food contamination was linked to a brand called ‘Laxmi Narayan’, sold at the Reliance Retail outlet at ARD Cinemall in Buldhana district. The Blinkit facility faced a much severe action after the FDA found serious food safety violations at the quick commerce app’s establishment at Sarvodaya Bhuvan in Mumbai’s Malad (West). At least 54 boxes of ‘kaju katli’ weighing 11. 34 kg were seized, and the sample was sent to a food laboratory for analysis. Action would be taken based on the lab report under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the statement said. 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 state FDA in a statement said the licence of the facility run by Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd was suspended after officials, during an inspection, found the place to be in an unhygienic condition and infested by cockroaches. These were serious violations of food safety rules, the FDA said. The FDA said its officials also took samples of ‘kaju katli’ from an outlet of Reliance Retail after it received a complaint that fungus and worms were found in the sweets. The food safety watchdog in the statement said it also found inadequate pest and rodent controls, shortcomings in waste management and maintenance, absence of medical examination and health records of food handlers and lack of personal hygiene and protective equipment.
