Rat in Blinkit freezer, spoiled KFC chicken: FSSAI and states crack down

Food safety authorities across India have launched a sweeping crackdown on violations, with a rat found in a Blinkit ice cream freezer in Thane and spoiled chicken reported at a KFC in Mangaluru. The Hindustan Times reports that the FSSAI has barred Dabur from selling products with unverifiable “100%” claims and restricted sales of alcohol brands including Old Monk for flavouring violations. Maharashtra FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe has intensified action, suspending permits of 12 warehouses run by Eternal (Blinkit), Swiggy (Instamart), and Zepto after inspectors found cockroach infestations, rodent droppings, and unhygienic storage, Reuters adds.

The Economic Times reports that leading mall operators, including DLF Malls, Phoenix Group, and Prestige, have issued fresh hygiene alerts to food and beverage tenants, warning that any lapse risks contract terms and the mall's reputation. In Karnataka, raids at Bengaluru hotels and a Zepto warehouse in Hoskote have led to seizures of expired meat and sealed premises. The Hindustan Times notes that the Maharashtra FDA inspected 104 chain restaurants, ordering two to stop business and suspending licences of five. Regulators are focusing on quick-commerce firms, with Blinkit operating 2,200 delivery outlets in India, Swiggy and Zepto roughly 1,100 each.

"We will not tolerate any playing with public health," Mundhe said, warning of tougher action. The crackdown follows a rise in food safety complaints and social media attention, with historically little enforcement of standards, Reuters reports. Mall operators are conducting routine audits, with Nexus Select Malls CEO Dalip Sehgal saying standards "can't be treated as one-time developments." The FSSAI has also sent notices to Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff over a pan masala advertisement.