Expired products, pests found at online food delivery stores in Delhi

Ahead of the festival season, the Food Safety Department found expired products, pests and unhygienic storage conditions at facilities operated by quick-commerce and retail companies in various parts of Delhi. It also tested samples of different brands of desi ghee sold in markets across the city. Of the 59 samples tested, 19 were found to be “unsafe” for human consumption, while four failed to meet food safety standards, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated in an official release on Saturday. According to the CMO, officials found expired frozen green peas, Greek yoghurt, eggless chocolate-chip brownies and cow ghee products at Swiggy Instamart’s premises in Uttam Nagar. Some packets of sprouts, fruits and vegetables also did not carry expiry dates. At Reliance Retail Limited’s premises in the Wazirpur Industrial Area, flies, mosquitoes and a lizard were found, along with spider webs. During an inspection at Zomato Hyperpure’s premises in Ghevra, officials found expired products and unhygienic conditions. At Zepto Limited’s premises in Jheel Khureja, shortcomings were found in maintaining the prescribed cold-storage temperature. Cockroaches and spider webs were also found, the statement said.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said compromising on food quality or endangering people’s health through adulteration was unacceptable under any circumstances.

“The health and safety of Delhiites will not be compromised. The Food Safety Department has been directed to tighten monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food products through online platforms. Action must be taken in accordance with the rules wherever food safety standards are violated,” Ms. Gupta said.

Unsafe ghee

The Food Safety Department collected 59 samples of different brands of desi ghee from markets across Delhi. “Samples of 19 brands were declared ‘unsafe for human consumption’, including Haryana Lite, Haryana Supreme, Haryana Dairy, Haryana Pure, Shree Haryana King, Shree Haryana Foods, Kartar, Prabhas, Madhu Sangam, Radha Krishna, New Punjab Super Brand, Akshara, Anand Gold, Shree Nandan, Shree Mohan and Shree Krishna,” the statement said. “Samples of Nova, Govardhan Pure Cow Ghee and Pratap Desi Ghee were classified as substandard. Orders have been issued to shut down establishments selling unsafe ghee, and their licences have been suspended,” it added. Ms. Gupta said the government’s objective was not merely to identify deficiencies but to ensure that every family in Delhi had access to safe and quality food. Protecting public health and ensuring accountability in the food trade remained government priorities, she added.