Hoskote facility faces action over alleged lapses in food handling, storage and labelling
A Zepto warehouse in Hoskote taluk, Bengaluru, has been sealed by Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department after an inspection found alleged violations related to food handling, storage, labelling and misbranding.
The warehouse, operated by Nippon Express, was inspected on 11 August as part of a special food safety drive conducted under the guidance of Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader.
The Food Safety Wing assessed the facility for compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related regulations covering food quality, safety, storage, labelling and handling.
According to media report, officials sealed the warehouse after finding unhygienic conditions related to food handling and storage. The department also issued a notice to the facility and recommended filing a case before the competent Adjudicating Officer for further legal action.
Zepto said it cooperated with the authorities during the inspection and had taken note of the observations and suggestions made by officials.
According to a media report, a Zepto spokesperson said that a routine inspection is conducted by authorities across the country, adding that the company remained committed to continuously strengthening its processes and maintaining high standards of food safety and hygiene.
Zepto Faces Separate Penalty
Separately, the Bengaluru North City Corporation imposed a Rs 25,000 penalty on Zepto in Thanisandra for allegedly failing to maintain cleanliness at the location.
The action against Zepto comes amid intensified food safety inspections across Bengaluru following complaints concerning food quality, hygiene and unsafe practices.
The Food Safety Wing recently deployed 30 teams to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels across the city. Officials collected 35 food samples for laboratory testing during the inspections. The checks found expired food products, improper labelling, unhygienic storage, fungal growth on vegetables and inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
During inspections on Sunday, officials seized or discarded more than 100 kg of food articles and 15 litres of used cooking oil from six hotels. One establishment had 45 kg of rotten chicken and beef and 6 kg of vegetable cutlets, while another was found with 50 kg of duck and 5 kg of fish.
Officials also found expired milk and curd packets and meat showing fungal growth.
Food Safety Checks Widen
The action in Karnataka follows similar enforcement measures in other parts of the country. In Maharashtra, the Food and Drug Administration recently suspended the food licence of a Blink Commerce facility in Mumbai after finding extensive cockroach infestation and improper food storage.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration also acted against a Reliance Retail outlet in Buldhana following a complaint alleging that live larvae were found in packaged kaju katli. A sample from another batch was sent for laboratory analysis, with further action to depend on the test results.
Food safety authorities have stepped up inspections of restaurants, hotel kitchens, warehouses and other food businesses, focusing on hygiene, storage, labelling and food-handling practices.
The Karnataka department has said special inspections will continue across the state and that legal action will be taken against food businesses found violating prescribed food safety standards.
