Blinkit Dark Store in Pune Shut Down by FDA for Breaking Food Safety Rules

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra has ordered the shutdown of a Blinkit dark store in Pune’s Baner-Balewadi area. This decision came after officials found the store breaking several food safety rules during an inspection on June 5.

The store, which was operated by a partner company called Energy Darkstore Services, did not have a valid food business license. This is a legal requirement under India’s food safety law. Because of this, the FDA told the store to stop all its operations immediately.

During the inspection, the FDA team found many problems. Food items were kept directly on the floor, storage racks were rusty, the floor was wet and dirty, and cold storage units were not working properly. Staff members were handling food without wearing gloves or safety gear, and there was no proof of pest control measures being taken.

Because of all these issues, the FDA suspended the store’s food license and said it cannot reopen until it fixes the problems and gets a proper license.

This action is part of a larger plan by the FDA to check all dark stores in Pune that deliver groceries quickly. Officials are making surprise visits to see if these stores are following hygiene and safety rules. Stores that break the rules may be shut down or lose their license.

After the Blinkit store was closed, around 40 delivery workers were moved to other branches. Customers in the area noticed slower delivery times — from the usual 8 minutes to about 15 minutes.

Earlier, a similar action was taken in Mumbai, where a Zepto dark store in Dharavi was closed for poor hygiene and unsafe storage of food.