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Crusading India state food safety chief targets Eternal, Swiggy, Zepto in sweeping crackdown

Inspectors found cockroaches, rodent droppings and rotten vegetables at 12 warehouses, while the FDA issued 60 improvement notices, officials said.

  • On Friday, Maharashtra's food safety chief suspended permits for 12 quick-commerce warehouses—five Blinkit, five Zepto, and two Swiggy Instamart—after inspectors discovered cockroach infestations, rotten vegetables, and unhygienic conditions.
  • Targeting the $13 billion 'quick commerce' sector, which processes 9 million daily orders, the raids follow previous closures of popular eateries by Tukaram Mundhe, the state's new food safety head.
  • FDA officials issued 60 'improvement notices' after finding rodent droppings, rotten vegetables, and staff wearing street footwear in storage areas. Photos revealed rusted, dirty storage racks with cockroaches crawling around food items.
  • Consumers expressed shock on social media Saturday regarding poor standards revealed in FDA images. Swiggy and Eternal declined to comment, while Zepto did not respond to queries from Reuters.
  • Mundhe warned of tougher enforcement, stating, "We will not tolerate any playing with public health." His department previously shut four Domino outlets, signaling broader scrutiny even of brands with stricter safety protocols.
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The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA), which had shocked Bengaluru by raiding star hotels, Indira Canteen, Swiggy, and Zomato warehouses, has now also come down heavily on home-based bakers and tiffin service providers. It is investigating whether those running such businesses have obtained the necessary licenses and are adhering to food safety standards.

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Reuters broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
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