Published Sep 30, 2026 | 7:17 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 30, 2026 | 7:19 PM
The authority suspended the FSSAI licences of four stores the same day.
Synopsis: Four dark stores operated by Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Flipkart in Hyderabad have been ordered to stop operations after food safety officials found expired food, cockroach infestation, spoiled vegetables and unhygienic conditions. TG SAFE inspected 16 dark stores on Wednesday and suspended the FSSAI licences of four outlets. Three other stores have received improvement notices, while five more have received show-cause notices.
Four dark stores operated by Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Flipkart have been ordered to stop operations after the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) found expired and damaged food, cockroach infestation, spoiled vegetables and unhygienic conditions during inspections across Hyderabad.
Ten enforcement teams comprising Food Safety Officers and police personnel inspected 16 dark stores operated by Swiggy Instamart, Flipkart, Zepto and Dropx Logistics in Hyderabad’s Core Urban Region on Wednesday, 30 September.
They found several violations, including unhygienic premises, damaged and expired food articles, improper food handling and storage, spoiled vegetables with fungal infestation, labelling violations, cockroach infestation, pest-infested food articles and improper cold-room temperature maintenance, TG SAFE said.
The authority suspended the FSSAI licences of four stores the same day and directed them to immediately stop business operations “in the interest of public health”.
The suspended stores include Swiggy Instamart at Pet Basheerabad and Saidabad, Flipkart at Panjeshah Road in Charminar, and Zepto at Ram Koti.
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At the Swiggy Instamart store in Pet Basheerabad, officials found “unhygienic premises, presence of dust, cobwebs, damaged racks, expired/damaged food articles, cockroach infestation” and improper record maintenance, TG SAFE said.
The Swiggy Instamart store at SBH Bank Colony, Saidabad, had several expired food articles, “extremely unhygienic premises” and fungal or mould growth. “Ice creams and dairy products” were also found melted and leaking, while required records were not maintained, according to TG SAFE.
At the Zepto store in Ram Koti, officials found “heavy cockroach infestation” along with spoiled and fungus-contaminated vegetables, damaged and expired food articles, rusty and untidy racks, cobwebs and dust, TG SAFE said.
The Flipkart store at Panjeshah Road, Chowk Mohammed Khan Pathar Gatti, Charminar, was found to have expired and damaged food articles, rotten and spoiled vegetables, rusty and dusty shelves, and food and non-food products stored together.
“Temperature monitoring of cold room not done properly” was also among the violations, TG SAFE said.
“15 samples have been lifted on suspicion of adulteration,” TG SAFE said, adding that further action would be taken based on the results of testing.
The authority also issued improvement notices to three stores, including Flipkart outlets at Chintal and Gajularamaram and a Swiggy Instamart outlet at Chintal.
“The establishments will be revisited to verify the status of compliance with the food safety norms,” TG SAFE said.
Show-cause notices will be issued to five other stores, including Swiggy Instamart outlets at Nizampet, Gajularamaram and Shah Ali Banda, and Flipkart outlets at Moosarambagh and Rethi Galli, Golconda.
“Further action will be initiated for imposing penalties,” TG SAFE said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Sumit Jha)
