Hyderabad: In the third such case involving the quick-commerce company in under two weeks, the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) on Tuesday, June 30, found severe hygiene violations, including a cockroach and rodent infestation, at a Zepto store in Mallepally.
The inspection was led by Sub-Inspector V Akhil. The case has been handed over to Food Safety Officer Sameena Begum of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for further action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
“The store was found to be extremely unhygienic, with a cockroach infestation. Even the products meant for delivery were infested. We received a complaint, following which we raided the premises along with a food safety officer. We found that the staff were cleaning up the infested products before handing them over for delivery, so customers had no way of knowing. The case has been handed over to the food safety officials, and further details will be disclosed once the investigation is complete,” SI V Akhil told Siasat.com.
This is the third Zepto facility to be flagged for hygiene lapses in Hyderabad this month. On June 18, H-FAST had raided a Zepto warehouse in Chandrayangutta following a customer complaint about expired food being delivered, seizing several expired products. Officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) issued a notice in that case.
Days later, on June 23, a separate inspection by the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation at a Zepto warehouse in Devbhoomi Nagar, Gajularamaram, uncovered a live cockroach infestation, rusted storage racks, greasy flooring and an expired FSSAI licence still on display, among other lapses.
The repeated violations point to persistent lapses in food safety and pest control practices across the company’s Hyderabad operations, even as authorities continue to act outlet by outlet. Further details on the specific violations found at the Mallepally store, and on Zepto’s response, are awaited.
