UPFSDA suspends licenses of four food stores in Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UPFSDA) has launched a statewide inspection campaign titled ‘Shuddh Hi Shubh Hai’ to monitor food safety standards across online delivery platforms. The crackdown targets warehouses, dark stores, and supply centers associated with major e-commerce players including Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon, Reliance, and Metro.

As part of the campaign, authorities have suspended the licenses of four stores and halted their operations. Inspections conducted in cities such as Ghaziabad, Kanpur, and Agra revealed significant hygiene and regulatory violations. In Ghaziabad, a Zepto warehouse was found with excessive dirt, cobwebs, damaged flooring, and cockroaches near food storage areas.

In Kanpur, inspections of Reliance Mart, Metro, and Zepto locations uncovered discrepancies in storage facilities, including a lack of required cold storage chambers despite licensing requirements. Officials also noted administrative errors, such as outdated nominee information on licenses, and failures to adhere to ‘best before’ dating on confectionery products. Additionally, authorities in Agra seized 273 packets of makhana valued at approximately 68,000 rupees.

To date, the department has conducted 149 inspections, collected 21 food samples for testing, and recommended improvement notices for 79 cases.