Bengaluru: Food safety inspectors encountered crawling rats, black worms in a sugar sack and grossly unhygienic storage conditions during raids on three Indira Canteen outlets in Bengaluru, leading to the sealing of one facility and issuing of notices to all three operators.
Officials also carried out a surprise inspection of a Zepto warehouse in Hoskote, after which both the Gottigere Indira Canteen central kitchen and the quick‑commerce hub were sealed.
The Food Safety Division of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department visited the main kitchens and food preparation units of Indira Canteens at Gottigere, Lingarajapuram and Singasandra. Inspectors flagged non‑compliant labelling, misbranding and poor, unhygienic food‑handling practices, among other breaches.
Notices were served on the food business operators of all three units, with the department recommending that cases be filed before the respective Adjudicating Officers for further legal action.
The Gottigere warehouse was sealed immediately after the inspection. Officials collected samples of pulses, turmeric powder, cooking oil, jaggery, salt, sugar and prepared food items for laboratory analysis, as reported by The New Indian Express.
At the Zepto warehouse run by Nippon Express in Hoskote taluk, inspectors found violations including non‑compliant labelling, misbranding and unhygienic food handling and storage conditions. That facility was also sealed and a notice issued.
The department said strict action would be taken against food businesses violating food safety regulations and that such inspection drives would continue to ensure access to safe and hygienic food.
Earlier this week, food safety inspectors found such unhygienic conditions in some of Bengaluru’s top hotels.
On Monday, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the food licence of a Blinkit facility in Mumbai after carrying out inspections, as reported by NDTV.
Blinkit ranks among India’s leading quick‑commerce players and is a direct competitor of Zepto.
The state FDA said that the licence of the facility run by Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd was suspended after officials found the place to be in an unhygienic condition and infested with cockroaches.