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Economic Times
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Quick commerce industry's hygiene headache explained
- Quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, etc., have launched numerous dark stores for ultra-fast delivery beyond groceries into electronics and pharmaceuticals.
- However, some dark stores face hygiene and food safety issues, as revealed by an FDA investigation in Pune.
- The Maharashtra FDA found hygiene lapses like fungal growth, expired products mixed with regular stock, and lack of valid licenses in dark stores.
- Regulations mandate a certain supervisor-to-worker ratio and regular training in dark stores, but compliance is challenging due to rapid expansion.
- Some quick commerce companies lack clear hygiene guidelines and struggle to handle expired products appropriately.
- While some companies claim to conduct third-party audits, cost-cutting measures sometimes result in in-house audits leading to food safety system breakdowns.
- India's dark store count is projected to reach 5,000-5,500 by FY26, with Blinkit leading with 1,301 dark stores as of March 31.
- Instamart has over 1,021 dark stores in 100+ cities, while Flipkart Minutes plans to expand to 800 dark stores by the end of the year.
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