AICPDF Demands Uniform Food-Safety Norms For Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart Dark Stores Amid Rising Hygiene Concerns

New Delhi: The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has urged for standardized safety regulations across quick-commerce dark stores like Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart, citing growing hygiene concerns, according to a report. After inspections by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 86 such establishments, the federation's concerns come to light.

The regulator had suspended 14 food-business licenses from Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart due to deficiencies in food storage, temperature control, cleanliness, pest management, worker hygiene, and food handling. The federation highlighted alarming incidents, such as a viral video showing a live rat in an ice-cream storage crate at a Blinkit outlet in Kalyan's Godrej Hill area.

Additionally, expired food products were found at a Zepto outlet in Pune. AICPDF National President Dhairyashil H. Patil expressed concern, stating, "Consumers should not have to become food inspectors, checking dates, packaging, and storage conditions." The federation has proposed a scientifically determined SKU-to-space framework, requiring a minimum storage area based on the number of stock-keeping units handled by a facility.

They have also urged the FSSAI and the Union Health Ministry to establish standardized food-safety norms specifically for quick-commerce warehouses and dark stores. Patil emphasized, "Quick commerce may promise delivery in 10 minutes, but food safety cannot operate on a 10-minute business model." While supporting the growth of quick commerce, the federation insists on uniform regulatory standards across traditional and digital retail channels, emphasizing that the same food-safety rules should apply to all operators.