Delhi’s Food Safety Department has found expired food products, pest infestations and inadequate storage practices at facilities operated by online food delivery and retail companies during an enforcement drive ahead of the festival season, officials said on Saturday. Inspections also identified failures to maintain prescribed temperatures and weaknesses in pest control and food segregation at several premises.
The inspections were carried out on the direction of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who has asked officials to intensify monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food products. The department collected food samples and issued improvement notices to the establishments concerned, according to an official statement.
At a food company’s premises in Uttam Nagar, inspectors found expired frozen green peas, Greek yoghurt, eggless chocolate-chip brownies and cow ghee products. The findings are significant for Delhi’s expanding online food and grocery network, where products are stored in neighbourhood facilities before being dispatched to consumers.
At another company’s premises in Wazirpur Industrial Area, officials found flies, mosquitoes, a lizard and spider webs. The facility also lacked a cleaning schedule and the corresponding checklist, the statement said. Such records are part of routine hygiene management and help establish whether cleaning and pest-control procedures are being carried out consistently.
Inspections at a major online food aggregator’s premises in Daryaganj found dirty crates and dust in food storage areas. Officials also reported that rat traps had not been placed at appropriate locations and that the number of traps was inadequate. At the aggregator’s Rohini store, inspectors found no arrangements to segregate food items, creating a risk of cross-contamination between products, the statement said.
The department also tested 59 samples of desi ghee. Nineteen were found to be unsafe, while four did not meet food safety standards, according to the official statement. The authorities said action was being taken in accordance with the rules based on the deficiencies identified during the inspections.
The findings underline the regulatory challenge created by food businesses that operate through multiple storage and fulfilment points across the city. Although consumers may place orders through a digital platform, the safety of the products still depends on physical premises, temperature control, cleaning systems, pest management, stock rotation and the separation of different food items.
The inspections took place before the festival season, when demand for packaged foods, sweets, dairy products, frozen items and ready-to-eat products typically increases. The official statement did not specify the total number of premises inspected or the penalties, if any, imposed beyond the improvement notices and action initiated under the applicable rules.
Officials said food samples would be examined as part of the enforcement process. The establishments issued improvement notices are required to address the deficiencies identified by the department, while further action will be taken in accordance with food-safety regulations.
