A video showing a live rat inside an ice cream storage crate at a Blinkit store in Kalyan’s Godrej Hill area has gone viral on social media, triggering concerns over hygiene and food safety standards at online grocery fulfilment centres, reported NDTV.
The footage, reportedly captured inside a local fulfilment unit of a major quick-commerce company, shows rodents moving around stored frozen products. The incident has sparked outrage among residents and consumers, with many questioning the hygiene and safety measures followed at such delivery hubs.
Residents have urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, and municipal authorities to inspect the facility and take appropriate action if food safety violations are found.
The incident comes amid recent regulatory action by the Maharashtra FDA against a Malad-based food establishment over serious hygiene and food safety violations. Following an inspection on August 7, Food Safety Officers found unhygienic conditions, a significant rodent infestation and multiple instances of non-compliance with food safety regulations at the facility located at Sarvodaya Bhuvan on Ramchandra Lane in Malad West.
Officials found food products improperly stored, including items placed on contaminated racks or directly on the floor. The inspection also revealed poorly maintained cold-storage facilities and expired, damaged or tampered packaged food products.
The FDA further flagged inadequate insect and rodent-control measures, poor waste management, improper maintenance and the absence of records related to medical examinations and health documentation of food handlers.
Following the violations, proceedings were initiated under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
The establishment’s food licence was suspended with immediate effect from July 27, 2026, until further orders. The suspension bars the unit from selling, distributing or carrying out any business involving food products during the period.
The regulator also warned that strict legal action would follow if the establishment was found operating despite the suspension.
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