Cockroaches in the storage room. Worms in the sweets. That's what Maharashtra FDA inspectors walked into last week.
The food licence of Blinkit's Malad (West) facility in Mumbai has been suspended after officials found a full-blown cockroach infestation in the vegetable and fruit storage area. Photographs from the inspection show cockroaches crawling across a dirty floor, some on the walls, right next to bags of fresh produce. The facility also had rusted storage racks, expired food products, and no proper stock rotation system in place. FDA said the violations were serious enough to bar the facility from selling or distributing food during the suspension.
But the cockroach story was only half of it.
On August 8, 2026, the FDA received a consumer complaint about fungus and live worms in kaju katli sold under the brand "Laxmi Narayan" at a Reliance Retail outlet in ARD Cinemall, Buldhana district. When inspectors arrived, the specific batch the customer complained about was no longer in stock. So they collected a sample from a different batch, seized 54 boxes weighing 11.34 kg, and sent the sample to a food laboratory for analysis. Further action will depend on the lab report, under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
This isn't an isolated incident. The FDA has suspended 14 licences across quick-commerce platforms so far, including Zepto and Instamart facilities, as part of a broader state-wide crackdown on food safety compliance.If you're someone who orders groceries through these apps regularly, this is probably a good time to ask what's happening behind the scenes before your food gets to the bag. The convenience model works because these facilities move fast. Turns out that speed sometimes comes at the cost of basic hygiene.
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