In the wake of a food safety raid at Zomato’s Hyperpure warehouse in Hyderabad, co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal addressed concerns raised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding improper packaging practices.
Reports indicated that inspectors found 90 packets of button mushrooms labeled with a “future packing date,” which has sparked scrutiny over the company’s adherence to food safety regulations.
In a statement posted on X, Goyal confirmed that the FSSAI had identified the improperly packaged mushrooms but emphasized that these items had already been flagged and rejected by Zomato’s warehouse team during routine quality control checks.
He attributed the incorrect packing dates to a manual typing error by the vendor and noted that the vendor has since been delisted from Zomato’s supplier database.
Goyal reaffirmed Zomato’s commitment to maintaining high food safety standards, stating, “We are committed to upholding industry food safety standards and are focused on not compromising on product quality at any stage of the supply chain.”
He highlighted that the recent inspection resulted in the Hyperpure warehouse receiving an A+ rating, the highest benchmark in their evaluation.
The inspection conducted on October 29 revealed not only the mislabeled mushrooms but also other safety concerns, including the presence of houseflies due to inadequate insect-proofing and food handlers lacking proper hygiene gear.
Despite valid licenses and medical certificates for food handlers, these issues raise significant questions about the facility’s compliance with food safety norms.
This incident is not isolated; it follows a previous report in June when another Zomato facility, Blinkit, was found to be in violation of safety regulations, resulting in the seizure of edible items worth INR 82,000.
The Telangana food safety department reported that these items either did not meet safety standards or had expired licenses.
As the festive season approaches, concerns over food safety practices are intensifying, impacting consumer trust.
Zomato’s handling of these safety violations will likely be scrutinized as the company navigates the heightened awareness around food safety in India.
