Food on wet floors, fungal growth, expired items: What FDA found inside Zepto's Mumbai warehouse

The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) has suspended the licence of a Zepto-operated warehouse in Dharavi, Mumbai, after finding several serious food safety violations.

What did the FDA find?
During an inspection, officials found:

• Fungal growth on food items
• Products stored near stagnant water
• Expired goods kept alongside fresh ones
• Some items placed directly on wet, dirty floors
• Cold storage units not meeting required standards

Anupama Patil, assistant commissioner (Food), said the expired items were destroyed after the inspection.

Warehouse shut until further notice
Joint Commissioner (Food) Mangesh Mane said, “The warehouse will remain closed until Zepto clears all violations and follows proper food safety rules.” He added that inspections will also be carried out at other Zepto warehouses and similar quick-commerce platforms.

Zepto responds
According to a TOI report, Zepto has started an internal review. A company spokesperson said, “We are working closely with the authorities and taking corrective steps to meet all legal requirements.”

Not the first time
Earlier in January, the FDA raided three companies, Foclo Technologies (Thane), Bhagwati Stores ( Kandivli), and Scootsy (Malad), for allegedly selling medicines online without proper licences.

Inputs from TOI