Telangana Food Safety Officials Raid Dark Stores of BigBasket, Blinkit, and Zepto in Hyderabad

Telangana Food Safety officials have cracked down on quick-commerce ‘dark stores’ operating across Hyderabad. Following directives from TG Safe Commissioner Avinash Mahanty, 10 special teams comprising food safety officers and police personnel conducted simultaneous surprise inspections within the GHMC limits. The coordinated raids targeted approximately 20 dark stores belonging to major quick-commerce players, including BigBasket, Blinkit, and Zepto.

Shocking Hygiene Lapses and Expired Foods Found
During the widespread inspections, officials discovered significant lapses in hygiene and operational standards at several facilities. According to the authorities, major violations included:

Unhygienic Storage: Food items were found stored in dusty and unclean environments.

Improper Temperature Control: Essential temperature protocols for storing perishable goods were not being maintained, indicating negligence in food handling.

Expired Products: Crucially, officials discovered expired food items and packaged goods still stocked within the stores.

Notices Issued and Further Action Pending
The rapid growth of the quick-commerce industry and its network of dark stores (micro-warehouses designed exclusively for online order fulfillment) has raised questions about regulatory oversight.

Following the raids, the task force issued formal notices to the store operators for violating food safety regulations. Authorities also collected samples of suspected food items and sent them to local laboratories for comprehensive testing. Officials stated that further legal action will be initiated based on the laboratory reports.

The Food Safety department emphasized that while platforms prioritize ultra-fast delivery, they must give equal importance to food safety standards. Officials warned that specialized surveillance on quick-commerce dark stores will continue in the future to ensure public health is not compromised for speed.