Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration department has sealed a Zepto warehouse in Hoskote taluk near Bengaluru after finding what officials described as extremely unhygienic conditions, in the first action against a quick commerce facility under a drive that now covers dark stores run by all major platforms in the state.
The facility, operated by logistics firm Nippon Express, was inspected on Tuesday under a special drive being run under the guidance of health minister UT Khader. Officials found alleged violations including non-compliant labelling, misbranding, and unhygienic food handling and storage. The warehouse was sealed, a notice issued, and the department has recommended filing a case before the competent Adjudicating Officer.
Crackdown Expands
The drive originated in an unrelated restaurant inspection. “We had conducted inspection in some high-end pubs in UB City. Over there we found chicken that had altered manufacturing date marked as the next day. During investigation we found that it was ordered from Blinkit. Therefore we have taken the step to conduct inspection on all quick commerce darkstores including Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and others,” Khader told FE.
A Zepto spokesperson said, “Routine food safety inspections are conducted by authorities across the country as part of their regular oversight. We have fully cooperated with the authorities during the inspection, taken note of the observations and suggestions shared, and are taking the necessary steps to address them.”
Widespread Raids
The UB City inspections were part of a wider drive that began on August 7 with 30 teams checking 26 three- and five-star hotels, including The Lalit Ashok, Radisson Blu (The Atria), Taj Yeshwantpur, Four Seasons, Shangri-La and Vivanta Whitefield, where officials seized expired meat, vegetables and dairy. It then moved to storage, with sauces nearing expiry seized from Coldman Logistics and Radhakrishna Foodland, which supply hotels and caterers in the city. On Sunday, teams inspected six eateries in UB City and Brigade Road and ordered the kitchen of Skyye Lounge closed after finding rotten chicken and beef with fungal growth, and milk and curd 10 days past expiry.
It follows the Maharashtra FDA’s suspension a day earlier of the food licence of an Eternal-owned Blinkit dark store in Malad West, Mumbai, after inspectors found a large-scale cockroach infestation and expired and tampered stock.