Cockroach Infestation, Unhygienic Premises and Dirty Shelf Racks: FDA Suspends Blinkit Store’s Food Licence in Mumbai Until Further Notice

THE MAHARASHTRA FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) has been carrying out one of the state’s toughest crackdowns on facilities violating food safety guidelines. The operation, which is part of the “Safe Food, Safe Medicine, Safe Maharashtra” campaign led by IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe, has been making headlines recently for its back-to-back crackdowns. Amid fears of Officer Mundhe’s next visit, a Blinkit store in Mumbai, Maharashtra, has become the FDA’s latest target. 

As per reports, the FDA has suspended the food licence of a Blinkit store for allegedly violating food safety norms. The reports suggest that the store was severely unhygienic, with allegations of cockroaches being found on fruits and vegetables. The FDA crackdown on the Blinkit store has gone viral on social media, with several users re-sharing pictures of unhygienic corners of the store, dirty shelf racks, and expired food items as well. 

The shocking revelations were made following an inspection of the Blinkit store located in Malad West, Maharashtra, conducted on August 7, 2026.

See Also: Detergent Powder, Palm Oil, Chemical Powders Used in Synthetic Milk: Shocking Details Found in FDA Crackdown Led By Maharashtra IAS Tukaram Mundhe

Blinkit Store in Mumbai Loses Its Food Licence

During the FDA’s inspection of the Blinkit store, several deficiencies were reported that violated food safety guidelines, ultimately leading to the suspension of the food licence of the quick-commerce company’s store.

According to several media reports, the place was allegedly infested with cockroaches, lacked cleanliness in the cold-storage area, and had expired and tampered packaged food. The FDA said, as cited by NDTV, that the store failed to practise FIFO/FEFO, a system for rotating goods that can go bad quickly, which requires following the “first in, first out” and “first expired, first out” methods.

The FDA further stated that the facility also had shortcomings in waste management and maintenance. The FDA said the workers lacked personal hygiene, did not wear protective equipment, and that there were no health records for the food handlers. 

Following these violations, the FDA suspended the food licence of Blinkit Commerce Private Limited with immediate effect under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The order directed the facility to pause its operations until further notice.

The Times of India reported that this is the second time in recent months that a Blinkit warehouse licence has been suspended. Earlier in July, a Blinkit warehouse in Pune was inspected by the FDA. The facility was found to have fungal growth on food items and was flagged for several hygiene-related violations, leading to the suspension of its licence.

The FDA crackdown in Maharashtra made major headlines after several inspection operations shed light on various hidden irregularities. In July 2026, the crackdown revealed alleged milk adulteration taking place in Bhoom taluka, Dharashiv district, Maharashtra. The investigation further claimed that the accused were allegedly mixing synthetic milk with detergent powder, palm oil, and other low-quality chemical powders to make the milk appear more authentic.

On August 8, 2026, the FDA inspected a Reliance Retail outlet in Buldhana, leading to the seizure of 11.34 kg of Kaju Katli for inspection following a complaint about a live insect found in the sweet. 

Who is Tukaram Mundhe?

The IAS officer who has become the internet’s latest muse has piqued everyone’s curiosity. Mundhe is a public service official from Beed city in Maharashtra and has been transferred more than two dozen times over the course of his two-decade-long career. He took charge as the FDA Commissioner on May 25, 2026.

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(Edited by Harsh Pandey)