Food Safety Department cracks down on Blinkit Store; Expired food items seized
FSO appeals to check expiry date before using food product
Ferozepur, July 21, 2026: Acting on repeated public complaints, the Food Safety Department conducted a surprise inspection at a Blink outlet and uncovered several serious violations, including the storage of expired food products, unhygienic conditions, and improper handling of food items.
Food Safety Officer Abhinav Khosla said that the department had received complaints from consumers alleging that expired bread and other food products were being sold at discounted prices. A similar complaint had also been received about a week ago, following which the outlet was issued a warning and directed to improve cleanliness and food safety standards.
"During today's inspection, we found a large quantity of expired food items on the premises. Samples of the suspected products have been collected for laboratory analysis," Khosla said.
The inspection also revealed poor hygiene in the store's cold room, where officials found excessive dirt and unsanitary conditions. Non-vegetarian and vegetarian food items were stored together, violating prescribed food safety norms that require separate storage to prevent cross-contamination.
Food Safety Officer further pointed out that the outlet had failed to conduct regular internal food safety audits. It was also observed that the cold storage door was being opened by kicking it with feet, leaving visible marks and indicating poor handling practices. The department has issued a challan to the outlet and granted it a final opportunity to rectify the deficiencies.
Appropriate legal action will be initiated after receiving the laboratory reports of the food samples.
Meanwhile, Khosla also appealed to consumers to always check the expiry date before using any food product to ensure their safety.