In a shocking incident, the Maharashtra FDA raided a Zepto warehouse in Dharavi only to find some extra toppings no one asked for—fungal growth, expired stock on top of fresh stock, and unsanitary storage units.
We all like the 10-minute instant deliveries, but it looks like they don’t come with a “cleanliness guaranteed” guideline.
The leaked footage from the Dharavi warehouse revealed fresh food stock stored on wet and dirty floors, right next to stagnant water and fungal growth.
After witnessing these horrifying violations, the FDA rightfully suspended the food business license of Kiranakart Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Zepto’s parent company for the Dharavi facility, under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety Act. Translating to: clean up or shut down.
Zepto’s PR team issued a statement claiming hygiene is “non-negotiable,” a sentiment, ironically, clashing with the reality of their storage facility.
This issue has brought forth a systematic failure—negligence from the ground staff or lack of oversight from the central team. While these services promise cost-cutting, it’s evident they compromise on hygiene and food safety for balance.
Instant delivery has boosted the gig economy, but it’s straining systems not built for such rapid growth—take a look at these overburdened warehouses.
While Zepto cleans up this mess, consumers are side-eyeing every piece of bread and cake delivered in the brown bag.
The fast deliveries are impressive, but they shouldn’t come at the cost of unhygienic products causing health hazards.
