Delhi’s Food Safety Department found expired food products, pests and unhygienic storage conditions at facilities operated by online food delivery and retail companies during an enforcement drive ahead of the festival season, officials said on Friday. The inspections covered premises in Uttam Nagar, Wazirpur Industrial Area, Daryaganj and Rohini.
The department found expired frozen green peas, Greek yoghurt, eggless chocolate-chip brownies and cow ghee at a food company’s premises in Uttam Nagar, according to a statement issued by the Delhi government. The inspections also identified lapses in maintaining prescribed storage temperatures at several facilities.
At another company’s premises in the Wazirpur Industrial Area, officials found flies, mosquitoes and a lizard, along with spider webs. The facility did not have a cleaning schedule or the related checklist available for inspection, the statement said.
Officials also reported deficiencies at premises operated by a major online food aggregator. At its Daryaganj facility, inspectors found dirty crates and dust in food storage areas. Rat traps had not been placed at appropriate locations, and the number of traps was considered inadequate. At the aggregator’s Rohini store, food items were not segregated, creating a risk of cross-contamination, according to the official account.
The enforcement drive also covered food samples. Of 59 desi ghee samples tested, 19 were found to be unsafe and four failed to meet food safety standards, the official statement said. Food samples were collected from the inspected premises, and improvement notices were issued to the establishments concerned. The statement did not identify the companies by name.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed officials to tighten monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food products. The inspections were conducted before the festival season, when demand for packaged, chilled and prepared food typically increases, but the department’s findings specifically relate to the premises and samples covered during this enforcement action.
The findings place attention on the storage and fulfilment facilities that support online food delivery and retail in a dense city such as Delhi. These premises connect suppliers and consumers through rapid deliveries, making temperature control, pest management, cleaning records and product segregation part of the food safety chain. The department’s notices and further action will determine how the establishments address the deficiencies identified during the inspections.
