The reports note that the establishment was operating without a valid food license, and various serious irregularities were also reported
In a major crackdown on the quick commerce platforms, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra has ordered the closure of a Blinkit dark store, Energy Darkstore Services, in Pune city, as per the media reports. The establishment was operating without a valid food license, and various serious irregularities were also reported.
The reports noted that Energy Darkstore Services was storing and distributing food products without any valid license. Since the establishment comes under the category of food business under section 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, a license is required for it to operate.
Apart from not having a license, the establishment was in poor condition and food was kept in rusty racks, the reports noted, while adding that the information on food packaging was also found to be incorrect. The mandatory certificate for milk and fruits was not in place and the pest control and internal audit reports were missing, as per the reports.
The reports added that while the establishment applied for a food license in June 2024, it was not granted as the required documents were not submitted properly. The watchdog agency has stated that all dark stores and online food distribution units are being inspected on a large scale to ensure that all rules are being followed.
Earlier, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had suspended the food business license of a warehouse of Kiranakart Technologies, the parent company of the quick commerce platform Zepto, in Dharavi, as per media reports.
The reports noted that the FDA officials conducted an inspection at the Dharavi facility and found multiple breaches of food safety standards. Fungal growth on food items, the existence of expired products, as well as the presence of food near stagnant water were a few of the violations. Inspectors also found that a few food items were allegedly stored on unhygienic floors, as per the reports.
