Zepto licence of this Mumbai facility cancelled over ‘poor hygiene and unsafe food storage conditions'
Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cancelled the food business licence of
Zepto
's Dharavi facility after an inspection revealed multiple hygiene and food safety norms violations.
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According to an IANS report, the FDA's inspection was triggered by a tip-off from Minister of State for FDA Yogesh Kadam. The inspection uncovered fungal growth on some food items, storage near stagnant water, unclean and wet floors, and cold storage units that failed to maintain the necessary temperature. Officials also found expired food products that were not separated from fresh stock.
'The inspection at the Dharavi location revealed poor hygiene and unsafe food storage conditions,' said FDA officials.
Following these findings, Assistant Commissioner of Food, Anupamaa Balasaheb Patil, ordered the cancellation of the facility's licence under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The suspension will remain in place until Zepto resolves the issues and obtains clearance from the licensing authority.
More Zepto facilities under scrutiny
The fast-growing quick commerce firm is reportedly under regulatory scrutiny at several other locations in Mumbai.
Zepto's storage hubs in Bhiwandi, Bandra East, and Borivali have also come under inspection. While operations at Bhiwandi and Bandra East were not halted, notices were issued for rule violations.
In Borivali, the licence was briefly suspended but later reinstated after corrective steps were taken and approved by the FDA's appellate authority.
What Zepto said on licence suspension
The IANS report quotes a Zepto spokesperson who said:
'Maintaining the highest standards of food safety and hygiene is non-negotiable.
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We have already started an internal review and are working with authorities to fix the issues quickly.'
Zepto Cafe suspend services in Delhi, Chandigarh
Last month, Zepto paused its 10 minute food delivery service — Zepto Cafe in multiple cities across North India. According to a report by Economic Times, the company has temporarily suspended the services due to some supply chain issues. The report suggests that this decision of the company will impact 44 Zepto Cafe stores in the region.
The decision of the company to halt the service has affected around 700 gig workers.
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