Expired Food, Cockroaches Found: Hyderabad Suspends FSSAI Licences of Swiggy, Flipkart, Zepto Stores

The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) has suspended the FSSAI licences of four dark stores in Hyderabad after inspections found expired and damaged food products, cockroach infestation, spoiled vegetables and other food-safety violations. The action followed a large-scale inspection of 16 dark stores in Hyderabad's Core Urban Region (CURE) by 10 enforcement teams comprising food safety officials and police personnel. The stores were operated by Kwickbox Retail Pvt Ltd (Swiggy Instamart), Instakart Services Pvt Ltd (Flipkart), Zepto Pvt Ltd and Dropx Logistics.

Four Dark Stores Ordered to Stop Operations

TG SAFE directed four establishments to immediately stop operations and suspended their FSSAI licences following the inspections. The affected outlets included Swiggy Instamart stores at Pet Basheerabad and Saidabad, a Flipkart-operated store at Panjeshah Road in Charminar, and a Zepto outlet at Ram Koti, according to the inspection findings. Bahar Biryani Cafe Raid: Rotten Chicken, Mutton and Prawns Destroyed in Hyderabad.

At the Swiggy Instamart outlet in Pet Basheerabad, officials reported dust, cobwebs, damaged racks, expired and damaged food products, cockroach infestation and inadequate record maintenance. The Saidabad outlet was found with several expired food items, fungal or mould growth and melted and leaking ice cream and dairy products. Officials also reported extremely unhygienic premises and missing records.

At the Zepto outlet in Ram Koti, inspectors reported heavy cockroach infestation, spoiled and fungus-contaminated vegetables, expired and damaged food products, dusty and rusty racks and cobwebs. The Flipkart outlet in Charminar was found with expired and damaged food products, rotten vegetables and dusty, rusty shelves. Food and non-food products were also reportedly stored together, while cold-room temperature monitoring was found to be inadequate.

15 Food Samples Collected

During the inspections, TG SAFE identified several food-handling and storage violations, including improper storage practices, labelling issues, pest infestation and inadequate temperature control. Officials collected 15 food samples after suspecting possible adulteration. Further action is expected based on the results of the tests. Dead Rat Found Inside Mysore Masala Dosa at Radhakrishna Hotel in Mumbai’s Borivali, Complaint Lodged (Video).

The latest enforcement action is part of a wider food-safety drive in Hyderabad. TG SAFE has carried out several inspections across restaurants and food establishments in the city in recent weeks, with authorities taking action over expired food, pest infestations, contamination and poor hygiene.

Three Stores Get Improvement Notices

Apart from the four licence suspensions, TG SAFE is issuing improvement notices to three other dark stores. These include Flipkart outlets at Chintal and Gajularamaram and a Swiggy Instamart outlet at Chintal. Officials said the establishments will be inspected again to verify whether the reported food-safety violations have been corrected.

Five More Face Show-Cause Notices

Five additional outlets are also set to receive show-cause notices. These include Swiggy Instamart outlets at Nizampet, Gajularamaram and Shah Ali Banda, along with Flipkart outlets at Moosarambagh and Rethi Galli in Golconda. TG SAFE said further action, including penalties, would be considered based on the findings and compliance status.

The inspections highlight the food-safety challenges associated with dark-store operations, where groceries and other food products are stored for rapid delivery. Authorities are continuing inspections and follow-up checks as part of Telangana's broader food-safety enforcement drive.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2026 09:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).