Maharashtra FDA Seizes Expired Drinks in Chembur, Suspends 10 Licences

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified food safety enforcement across Mumbai, seizing nearly 1,000 bottles of expired beverages from a supply warehouse in Chembur and suspending the licences of 10 quick-commerce and food delivery facilities.

Officials from the FDA's Mumbai division inspected the Parle Agro brand Velocity Express Warehouse located near Chembur Naka in the Gadkari area on August 14. During the search, inspectors discovered multiple batches of expired drinks, including Appy Fizz, Frooti, and apple juice. The seized stock was valued at Rs 99,970. The agency issued a notice to the company for storing stock unfit for sale and suspended the facility's licence.

The action was part of a broader inspection drive targeting quick-commerce dark stores and delivery hubs across the city. The FDA uncovered severe lapses in hygiene, pest control, storage conditions, temperature monitoring, and worker safety. In total, the licences of 10 establishments were suspended, while 14 others received improvement notices.

Inspectors noted major sanitary failures across several delivery hubs. At a Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd unit in Ghatkopar, officials found rotten vegetables, a cockroach infestation, damaged ceilings, and broken flooring, alongside missing drinking-water test reports and staff medical records. At another Blink facility in Malad West, medical records for roughly 40 food handlers were missing, and workers lacked headgear, aprons, and gloves amid rusted storage racks.

At a Zepto facility in Lokhandwala, Andheri West, food items were stored alongside chemicals and hazardous products without proper segregation, and temperature controls for perishable goods were inadequate. Similar issues involving waste management, lighting, and cleanliness were identified at Zepto's Mulund centre, while a re-inspection of its Gola unit in Goregaon East revealed ongoing hygiene and storage failures.

Inspectors also discovered food packages placed directly on the floor at an Instamart facility in Andheri East. At an Instamart location in Bandra West, officials found rat droppings, dust, cobwebs, food waste, and rusted racks. An expired Jorabian Chicken Curry Cut product was seized and destroyed during an inspection at another Andheri West facility.

Additionally, the FDA inspected Bollywood Cafe at Film City in Goregaon, citing heavy fly infestations, unhygienic food-contact surfaces, dirty water, and improper waste disposal. The department issued improvement directives and initiated penal proceedings under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.