Reliance, Blinkit and Zomato-linked warehouses face FDA action over expired food stock

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of five warehouses operated by Reliance Consumer Products, Reliance Retail, Zomato Hyperpure and Blinkit after detecting expired, damaged and rejected food products worth over Rs 48 lakh that were allegedly being routed back into the market.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the FDA said it had seized 8,392 kg of stock valued at Rs 48,08,924 during a special operation conducted in Thane and Pune districts on October 14 and 15.

The action followed suspicions that expired, damaged, rejected and packaging-damaged food products, instead of being destroyed through authorised channels, were being resold through intermediaries, local vendors and disposal agencies.

The FDA suspended the licences of Reliance Consumer Products Ltd and Reliance Retail Ltd warehouses at Wadpe in Bhiwandi, a Zomato Hyperpure Pvt Ltd warehouse at Usatane in Ambernath, a Reliance Retail warehouse at Chakan in Pune district, and a Blinkit Commerce Pvt Ltd facility at Nighoje in Pune district.

The department also ordered two unlicensed establishments to cease operations and initiated separate proceedings against them for conducting business without the required food safety registration or licence.

Inspections reveal expired stock and hygiene violations

The investigation covered warehouses, disposal centres and retail outlets in Bhiwandi, Ambernath and Khed taluka of Pune district. Seven teams conducted coordinated inspections after gathering intelligence between September 23 and October 5.

At the Zomato Hyperpure warehouse in Usatane, which stores and distributes products for Blinkit, inspectors found 5,431 products weighing 1,590 kg and valued at Rs 7.80 lakh that were expired, damaged or rejected.

The FDA reported cockroach and rodent infestations, packets gnawed by rodents or leaking, rodent droppings, and food products stored on the same rack as Ayurvedic medicines. Inspectors also found deficiencies in cold-chain maintenance and vehicle hygiene.

The company identified Ali Miya Enterprises as its disposal contractor. However, invoices reportedly showed that food products were sold at extremely low prices to the firm and another entity, Pan India Grocery Dump in Bengaluru, which investigators initially found did not appear to exist.

Some dispatch documents named the same entity as both the sender and receiver. Dispatch and disposal certificates also carried identical dates despite the interstate movement involved. The FDA suspended the warehouse's licence on October 15.

At Reliance Consumer Products' Wadpe warehouse, inspectors recorded around 4,659 kg of expired products worth Rs 3.78 lakh and 1,414.19 kg of damaged products worth Rs 1.19 lakh.

The FDA cited inconsistencies in disposal documents and missing transport records and supporting evidence, including vehicle details, e-way bills, toll and GPS records, and weight receipts. The licence was suspended following a hearing.

At Reliance Retail's Wadpe warehouse, 300 kg of expired or damaged stock valued at Rs 51,265 was found in a quarantine room. The company could not provide several documents required to verify the disposal process, following which its licence was suspended.

At the company's Chakan warehouse, expired and damaged products were found mixed with other stock without proper segregation. Inspectors also reported rodent droppings, cockroaches in floor cracks and employees spitting on the premises. The company failed to provide verifiable evidence of the products' final disposal.

At Blinkit's Nighoje facility, inspectors found the cold-room temperature above 5 degrees Celsius, missing cold-chain records, leaking packets, cockroach infestations and food items stored directly on the floor. Of around 600 employees, only five had Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC), the FDA said.

The licence was suspended after the company failed to provide evidence establishing when and where the expired products had been disposed of, or in what quantities.

Action against unlicensed establishments

The investigation also uncovered violations at establishments operating without the required licences.

Discount Store in Bhiwandi was found selling and storing 18 types of expired, damaged and leaking food products worth Rs 80,575 without an FSSAI licence or registration.

Another supplier, Gulzar Abdul Mubeen Khan, was found storing 429.37 kg of damaged and expired food worth Rs 86,825 in unhygienic conditions. Inspectors reported inadequate lighting, dust, cobwebs, wastewater, and rodent and cockroach infestations. Officials ordered the establishment to cease operations.

At B K Disposal in Bhiwandi, expired and damaged products from different companies were allegedly stored without a licence or proper records of receipt, transfer, weighing and authorised disposal. The establishment was also ordered to stop operations, the FDA said.

FDA seizes Rs 63 lakh worth of suspected substandard snacks

In a separate operation on October 16, the FDA seized 22,550 kg of suspected substandard mixed sev and farsan, valued at Rs 63.14 lakh, from the manufacturing unit of Moti Namkeen Private Limited in Parbhani.

The action followed findings that included poor worker hygiene and the absence of batch and supplier records. The company's licence was suspended, and samples were sent for laboratory testing.

In another operation, the FDA and police intercepted a car carrying banned scented tobacco, pan masala and gutka in Dharashiv district.

Officials seized the prohibited products, valued at Rs 9.07 lakh, along with the vehicle, worth Rs 7 lakh. The total seizure was valued at Rs 16.07 lakh. An FIR was registered against two accused.

PTI