Why license of Blinkit warehouse in Mumbai has been suspended
What's the story
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food license of Blinkit's Malad West warehouse in Mumbai. The action was taken after an inspection on August 7 revealed serious hygiene issues, including cockroach infestation and expired products. The facility, located at Sarvodaya Bhuvan on Ramchandra Lane, was found to be in a severely unhygienic condition with food items stored on rusted racks or directly on the floor.
Infestation concerns
Cockroach infestation in fresh produce
The FDA officials found a cockroach infestation in the stocks of fresh fruits and vegetables at the warehouse.
This poses a major risk of cross-contamination, making the food unsafe for consumption.
The facility also lacked adequate pest and rodent control measures across storage and handling areas.
Poor waste management practices were observed during the inspection.
Storage violations
Expired packaged food stored alongside fresh stock
The FDA officials also flagged the storage of expired, damaged, and tampered packaged food items alongside fresh stock in cold rooms.
This is a serious violation of food safety norms as it can lead to the contamination of fresh products.
Further, fitness records and health check-up records for food handlers were missing at the facility.
Workers were found without proper protective gear during the inspection.
Repeat violations
Second warehouse penalized in recent weeks
This is the second time in recent weeks that a Blinkit warehouse's license has been suspended.
In late July, another warehouse of the company in Pune was penalized by the FDA for similar hygiene and food safety violations.
Last year too, a Blinkit facility in Pune had its license suspended after fungal growth on food items and other serious hygiene issues were found during an inspection.