Online Grocery Store Crackdown; Safety Team Finds Expired Items
During inspection at Jaipur's Blinkit dark store, around 800 packets of dairy products and expired food items were destroyed on the spot
UdaipurTimes, Sept 11, 2026 - Under the Shuddh Aahar–Milawat Par Waar campaign being conducted across Rajasthan, a team from the Department of Food Safety and Drug Control carried out a surprise inspection at a Blinkit dark store in Adarsh Nagar, Jaipur, on September 10. During the raid, around 800 packets of dairy products, along with a large quantity of spoiled and expired food items, were destroyed on the spot, according to a government press release.
The central team inspected the Blinkit warehouse (dark store) in the presence of Joint Commissioner Vijay Prakash Sharma. During the inspection, a serious violation of the prescribed temperature standards for food products requiring cold storage was found. Food items that are required to be stored at temperatures below 5°C were reportedly being kept in a cold storage facility where the temperature was found to be 32.2°C.
Around 800 packets of milk products were destroyed on the spot with the consent of the food business operator. The team also destroyed several other items, including butter, juice, ghee, which were found either damaged or expired.
Dirt and spit marks were seen on the walls around the dark store and cold room. Several racks were found to be broken and there was accumulated water inside the deep freezer. The dark store did not have an air curtain installed. Records relating to the medical examinations of food handlers were not available, and the food handlers were not using gloves.
Officials instructed the store management to immediately improve the arrangements for safe storage of food products, temperature control and hygiene.
Food Safety Officers from the central team collected samples of some products which will be sent to the State Food Laboratory for testing. Appropriate action will be taken if the results are found unsatisfactory as per the Food Safety and Standards Act.
An Improvement Notice will be issued to the concerned establishment regarding the various deficiencies found during the inspection.
The Department of Food Safety and Drug Control continues to take action against violations of food safety standards under the direction of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar. Stores and warehouses operated by online food and grocery delivery platforms are being inspected intensively.
