On day two of the "Shuddh Hi Shubh Hai" campaign, action taken against two stores including the Zepto store in Chinhat, Lucknow; sale of frozen meat banned at two stores
Total 92 inspections, improvement notices recommended in 75 cases, 20 food samples collected for testing
Inspections covered food quality, safe storage, premises hygiene, temperature control, shelf-life validity, and arrangements for safe delivery to consumers
Lucknow, October 2026 : To ensure the quality and safety of food items reaching consumers through online platforms, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA), Uttar Pradesh, continued its strict action on Sunday, the second day of its statewide special inspection campaign. Under the "Shuddh Hi Shubh Hai" campaign, warehouses and dark stores linked to Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon, Reliance, Metro and other e-commerce platforms were inspected. During this, licenses of two stores were suspended and their food business shut down due to serious hygiene-related irregularities, while sale of frozen meat and meat products was banned at two other stores for lack of the required license endorsement.
During the campaign, food quality, safety of storage, premises hygiene, temperature control, shelf-life validity, and arrangements for safe delivery to consumers were checked. A total of 92 inspections were carried out on Sunday. In 75 cases, issuance of improvement notices was recommended, and 20 food samples were collected for testing.
Serious filth at Chinhat Zepto store, license suspended
Inspection of the Zepto store in Chinhat, Lucknow, revealed several serious hygiene-related irregularities. Extreme filth and a foul smell from the toilet were found on the premises. Insects and their waste were present on the floor. Rust and fungus were found on the racks used to keep food items. Insect-related waste was found on torn and damaged food items, and such material was kept together with other food products. In addition, food items were being stored along with medicines and nutraceuticals. In view of these serious deficiencies, the food safety department suspended the store's license and shut down the food business until corrective action is completed.
Sale of meat without endorsement stopped at Zepto store in Chiraiyabagh
At the Zepto store in Chiraiyabagh, Lucknow, the required endorsement for the sale of meat and meat products was not found on the license. Despite this, the store was selling meat and meat products. The department took immediate action and stopped the sale of the products concerned due to the absence of the required endorsement on the license.
Sale of frozen meat banned at Blinkit store in Husainabad
During inspection of the Blinkit store in Husainabad, Lucknow, too, the required endorsement for the sale of meat and meat products was not found on the license. Despite this, the store was selling frozen meat and meat products. The food safety department stopped the sale of these products with immediate effect and imposed a ban on their sale.
Filth found in cold room of Zepto store in Noida
During inspection of the Zepto store (Modem Grocery) in Wajidpur, Sector-135, Noida, rust and fungus were found on the racks used to keep food items. The level of cleanliness and hygiene on the premises was found to be extremely poor. Food items were scattered on the floor of the cold room. The floor was damaged and there was also excessive filth. The department banned the sale of the relevant food items kept there until the arrangements and cleanliness of the cold room are improved. In addition, the operation of the food business in the cold room was shut down.
Points being checked in inspections
Under the special campaign, food safety officers are checking the storage arrangements for food items, premises hygiene, and temperature control (cold chain) at warehouses and dark stores. Bills, vouchers and required records related to the purchase and supply of food items are also being examined. In addition, the hygiene of employees engaged in the food business, their health records, required training, pest control arrangements and related records are being checked. The prescribed limits of 30 percent and 45 days regarding the best-before period of food items are also being checked. The inspections also look at whether food items and other materials are kept separately in designated places. The availability of expired, inactive or unusable food items and the arrangements for their disposal are also being examined. Besides this, necessary details concerning the packing, handling, and delivery personnel of food items are also within the scope of inspection.
Objective: ensuring compliance with safety standards in online food business
The objective of this special campaign by the Food Safety and Drug Administration is to ensure that food items reaching consumers through online platforms also conform to the prescribed food safety standards. For this, safe storage of food items, quality, validity period, records related to sourcing, hygiene, and delivery arrangements are being checked. The aim of the department's action is to provide safe food items to consumers and to ensure compliance with the prescribed standards in food businesses linked to e-commerce platforms.
