FDA suspends Blinkit food licence over hygiene violations at Mumbai facility

MUMBAI: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of Blink Commerce (Blinkit) Pvt Ltd’s dark store in Malad West on the grounds of unhygienic conditions, cockroach infestation, and food safety violations.The action was taken after an inspection by food safety officers on Aug 7 at the facility located at Sarvodaya Bhuvan on Ramchandra Lane.​According to FDA officials, the warehouse was in a severely unhygienic condition as food items were stored on rusted racks or directly on the floor, while an infestation of cockroaches was discovered on stocks of fresh fruits and vegetables, creating a risk of cross-contamination.​Officials said the warehouse lacked effective pest and rodent control measures across storage and handling areas, poor waste management practices, and the storage of expired, damaged, and tampered packaged food items alongside fresh stock in cold rooms.​Furthermore, fitness records and health check-up records for food handlers were missing, and workers…