New Delhi, Expired green peas, Greek yoghurt and brownies, flies, mosquitoes and even a lizard were found at food storage facilities operated by online food delivery and retail companies in Delhi during an enforcement drive ahead of the festival season, officials said on Friday.
The inspections by the Delhi government’s Food Safety Department also revealed unhygienic storage conditions, inadequate pest control measures and lapses in maintaining prescribed temperatures at several premises. “Inspections revealed lapses in maintaining required temperatures at several premises. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed officials to tighten monitoring of markets, food storage facilities and establishments supplying food products. At another company’s premises in the Wazirpur Industrial Area, flies, mosquitoes and a lizard were found, while spider webs were present. 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, it added. At the aggregator’s Rohini store, no arrangements were found to segregate food items to prevent the risk of cross-contamination between products.
Of the 59 desi ghee samples tested, 19 were found to be unsafe while four failed to meet food safety standards.
Action is being taken in accordance with rules based on deficiencies identified,” an official statement said. At a food company’s premises in Uttam Nagar, officials found frozen green peas, Greek yoghurt, eggless chocolate-chip brownies and cow ghee products that had passed their expiry dates, according to the Chief Minister’s Office. The cleaning schedule and the related checklist were also unavailable, the statement said.
