The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a shutdown order for the Blinkit dark store located in Balewadi Pune because of severe violations of licensing and hygiene regulations. The quick commerce platform operated the facility without proper approvals under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The authorities discovered Blinkit operated without FSSAI licence approval while storing and distributing food products in unclean facilities.
Suresh Annapurna from the Maharashtra FDA (Pune region) verified that Blinkit presented documents which needed modification before resubmission. The Blinkit dark store needs to stay closed until the FDA receives revised documents and grants a licence. The shutdown order became necessary because officials found unhygienic practices at the facility.
The FDA issued a similar enforcement against Zepto’s food business licence in Dharavi Mumbai last week after discovering multiple safety violations including spoiled food and poor storage and water stagnation near food items.
Blinkit has not provided any official statement about this matter at present. The increased regulatory pressure on quick commerce firms demonstrates their need to meet food safety standards.
