Food safety teams find hygiene, storage violations at several dark stores in Hyderabad

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and local police conducted surprise inspections on Saturday at 20 dark stores in Hyderabad, operated by e-commerce platforms BigBasket, Blinkit, and Zepto. The inspections, conducted by TG SAFE Enforcement teams, targeted the Core Urban Region (CURE) area in Hyderabad.

During the inspections, officials found several violations of hygiene and storage management practices at the dark stores. One of the concerns was the presence of expired food items at a few of the stores. In response to the findings, notices were issued to the stores that were found to be in violation of food safety norms. Additionally, samples of the food items were collected for further examination to determine their safety and compliance with food safety regulations.

The inspections were a part of enforcement measures aimed at ensuring that dark stores, which cater to online and quick-commerce orders, are in compliance with food safety standards. Officials involved in the inspections stated that further actions would be taken based on the results of the inspections and the findings from the food samples collected.