The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has taken action against two retail food facilities in the state after inspections found violations related to hygiene, storage and food quality. The regulator suspended the food licence of a Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd facility in Malad West, Mumbai, while a Reliance Retail outlet in Buldhana is facing further scrutiny after a complaint about live larvae in packaged kaju katli. 
The actions are part of increased food-safety enforcement by the Maharashtra FDA under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The regulator has been carrying out inspections of food businesses and quick-commerce facilities across the state, with recent cases also involving other online grocery operators. Maharashtra FDA had earlier taken action against quick-commerce facilities in Mumbai and Pune over food-safety and licensing issues. 
The FDA inspected the Reliance Retail outlet at ARD Cinemall in Buldhana district after receiving a complaint that live larvae had allegedly been found in Laxmi Narayan brand packaged kaju katli. 
During the inspection, the specific batch mentioned in the complaint was not available at the outlet. The complained-about batch had been manufactured on May 29 and carried an expiry date of August 29. 
Officials, however, found another batch of the same product at the outlet. This batch had been manufactured on July 20 and was valid until October 20. The FDA collected a sample from the available stock and sent it to an authorised food laboratory for analysis. 
The regulator also seized 54 boxes of the product weighing a total of 11.340 kg. The seized stock was valued at INR 10,238. 
Further legal action against the concerned parties will depend on the laboratory findings and will be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the FDA said. 
The case highlights the role of food-safety inspections in checking packaged food at retail outlets, particularly when complaints are received about contamination or quality. The FDA has not yet established the cause of the reported larvae, with the laboratory analysis expected to determine the next course of action. 
The stricter action was taken against Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd's facility at Sarvodaya Bhuvan in Malad West, Mumbai. Blink Commerce operates Blinkit, and the facility has been identified in reports as a Blinkit dark store. 
An FDA inspection conducted during the past week found what the regulator described as extremely unhygienic conditions. Officials detected extensive cockroach infestation, including in areas where fruits and vegetables were stored. 
The inspection also found food items being stored improperly and inadequate cleanliness in the cold-storage area. Expired food products and packages that were damaged or appeared to have been tampered with were also found at the facility. 
The FDA flagged non-compliance with FIFO and FEFO practices. These systems require food businesses to use older stock first and prioritise products approaching their expiry date, helping prevent expired goods from remaining in circulation. 
The inspection further identified inadequate pest and rodent control, shortcomings in waste management and maintenance, and a lack of required medical examination and health records for food handlers. 
Officials also found that workers did not have the necessary personal hygiene measures and protective equipment. The combination of pest infestation, poor storage, expired products and gaps in employee health and hygiene records led the regulator to treat the violations as serious food-safety concerns. 
The FDA suspended the facility's food licence, numbered 11524010000119, with immediate effect and until further orders under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act and the applicable regulations. 
During the suspension, the establishment has been prohibited from selling, distributing or carrying out food business activities. 
The action is limited to the inspected facility and does not amount to a suspension of Blink Commerce's operations as a whole. The Malad facility will remain barred from food-related business activities until the regulatory authorities issue further directions. 
The enforcement comes amid closer scrutiny of quick-commerce and retail food-storage operations. Such facilities handle large volumes of fresh produce, packaged food and other consumables in compact storage spaces, making pest control, temperature management, stock rotation and segregation of expired products important parts of compliance. 
Maharashtra's FDA has previously taken action against quick-commerce facilities over similar regulatory concerns. In 2025, the department suspended a Zepto food business licence in Mumbai's Dharavi area after inspections reportedly found issues including fungal growth, cold-storage problems and improper separation of expired and valid products. The FDA had also directed a Blinkit dark store in Pune's Balewadi area to stop operations after finding that it was functioning without the required food licence. 
Source PTI