Expired food found at Delhi delivery stores

Expired green peas, Greek yoghurt, brownies and cow ghee, along with flies, mosquitoes and a lizard, were found at food storage facilities operated by online food delivery and retail companies in Delhi during inspections ahead of the festival season, officials said on Friday. The enforcement drive by the Delhi government's Food Safety Department uncovered several food safety violations, including unhygienic storage conditions, inadequate pest control and lapses in maintaining prescribed temperatures. Food samples were collected and improvement notices were issued to the establishments concerned.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, officials inspecting a food company's premises in Uttam Nagar found frozen green peas, Greek yoghurt, eggless chocolate-chip brownies and cow ghee products that had passed their expiry dates.

At another company's premises in the Wazirpur Industrial Area, inspectors found flies, mosquitoes and a lizard, along with spider webs. The establishment also lacked a cleaning schedule and the corresponding checklist, the official statement said.

At a major online food aggregator's premises in Daryaganj, officials found dirty crates and dust in food storage areas. Rat traps had not been placed at appropriate locations, and their number was inadequate, the statement added.

Inspectors also found shortcomings at the aggregator's Rohini store, where there were no arrangements to segregate food items to prevent possible cross-contamination.

The inspections also revealed concerns over the quality of desi ghee samples collected during the enforcement drive. Of the 59 samples tested, 19 were found to be unsafe, while four failed to meet food safety standards, according to an official statement.

"Inspections revealed lapses in maintaining required temperatures at several premises," the statement said, adding that action was being taken in accordance with the rules based on the deficiencies identified.

Officials said food samples had been collected from the establishments inspected and improvement notices issued wherever necessary.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed officials to strengthen monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food products ahead of the festival season.

The enforcement drive aims to identify food safety violations and ensure that businesses comply with prescribed hygiene, storage and quality standards. Officials are taking action against establishments based on the deficiencies identified during the inspections.