Maharashtra FDA suspended Blinkit’s Bhiwandi warehouse licence over expired, damaged and rejected food products.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of Blinkit’s Bhiwandi warehouse over alleged violations involving expired, damaged and rejected food products worth more than Rs 32.71 lakh. Blinkit is operated by M/s Blink Commerce Private Limited.
An inspection on October 21 found the company could not provide end-to-end traceability or proof of destruction for approximately 18,405 such items. Citing a potential threat to public health, the FDA ordered the immediate cessation of licensed operations. Officials raised concerns that the unaccounted inventory could be diverted back into the supply chain and sold to consumers.
Following the suspension, the FDA registered an FIR at Bhiwandi Taluka Police Station against key Blinkit personnel, including a whole-time director and facility managers, along with multiple vendors associated with scrap disposal. The accused were booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including those relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy, as well as Section 59(i) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The allegations include a suspected conspiracy to resell expired food products for financial gain. The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the registration of an FIR does not establish the guilt of the accused.
Source: News 18
