Hyderabad: TG SAFE has suspended the FSSAI licences of four quick-commerce dark stores in Hyderabad after inspections found serious food safety and hygiene violations.
The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) deployed 10 enforcement teams comprising food safety officers and police personnel. They inspected 16 dark stores operated by Swiggy Instamart, Flipkart, Zepto and Dropx Logistics across the Core Urban Region.
Officials reported expired and damaged food products, spoiled vegetables with fungal contamination, pest infestation and poor storage practices. They also found dusty and rusted racks, cobwebs, food-labelling violations and inadequate cold-room temperature maintenance.
TG SAFE collected 15 food samples on suspicion of adulteration during the inspections.
Four Hyderabad Dark Stores Ordered to Stop Operations
The four outlets whose FSSAI licences were suspended are Swiggy Instamart stores at Pet Basheerabad and Saidabad, a Flipkart Instakart store at Panjeshah Road in Charminar, and a Zepto store at Ram Koti.
At the Pet Basheerabad Swiggy outlet, officials reported unhygienic premises, dusty racks, cobwebs, damaged racks, expired and damaged food products, cockroach infestation and improper record maintenance.
The Flipkart outlet at Panjeshah Road had expired and damaged food, rotten vegetables, rusted and dusty shelves and food and non-food products stored together. Officials also found problems with cold-room temperature monitoring.
The Zepto outlet at Ram Koti was found to have heavy cockroach infestation, spoiled and fungus-contaminated vegetables, expired and damaged food products, rusty racks, cobwebs and dust.
At the Saidabad Swiggy outlet, officials found expired food products, extremely unhygienic premises, fungal or mould growth and melted or leaking ice creams and dairy products. Records were also found to be inadequate.
TG SAFE directed all four establishments to stop operations immediately in the interest of public health. Further action will depend on compliance and re-inspection.
The inspections also resulted in improvement notices for three outlets. These include Flipkart stores at Chintal and Gajularamaram and a Swiggy Instamart store at Chintal.
Show-cause notices will be issued to five other outlets. These include Swiggy Instamart stores at Nizampet, Gajularamaram and Shah Ali Banda, and Flipkart stores at Moosarambagh and Rethi Galli in Golconda. Further action, including penalties, will follow based on compliance.
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