Officials from the food safety department sealed a Swiggy Instamart warehouse in Bengaluru on Monday after an inspection uncovered expired and damaged food items stored at the facility.
A notice put up on the warehouse shutter on September 7 identified Swiggy Networks Limited as the operator and cited violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011.
The notice stated that food items were being stored and sold without adherence to licensing norms, and that the facility was accordingly sealed and locked pending further action.
Officials wearing identification badges were seen at the site examining documents as part of the inspection.
Visuals from inside the warehouse showed boxes of, expired, damaged and torn packaged food products, including items from Swiggy's in-house label NOICE, strewn across the floor alongside discarded cardboard cartons, pointing to poor storage and handling practices at the facility.
The Bengaluru action comes amid intensifying regulatory scrutiny of quick-commerce platforms' food storage practices across India. Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration Department recently recommended suspending the food licences of Swiggy, Instamart, Amazon and BigBasket for alleged non-compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act framework.
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Separately, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued nine notices to Swiggy Instamart over consumer complaints alleging the delivery of expired, spoiled and contaminated food, two of which concerned NOICE products.
Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration, under food safety commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, has also suspended licences at 12 quick-commerce warehouses run by Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart this year, citing pest infestations, spoiled produce and hygiene lapses.
With scrutiny mounting, Swiggy on Monday launched a 24x7 helpline and a dedicated "Food Safety" channel within its app, allowing customers to report concerns directly and upload supporting images.
The company said the move was aimed at strengthening its ability to identify recurring issues and take corrective action across its network of fulfilment centres.
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