In an ongoing investigation into food safety practices, Hyderabad food safety officials found grave violations at Zomato’s Hyperpure warehouse in Kukatpally on October 29, 2024.
During the inspection, officials found 18 kilograms of button mushrooms labeled with a packing date of October 30, 2024, even though the inspection took place a day earlier. The Hyperpure facility is an FBO (Food Business Operator) registered with a state license, supplying fruits, vegetables, meats, and other ingredients to hotels, restaurants, and catering businesses across the city.
Alongside the misdated label, inspectors found house flies within the warehouse and observed a lack of insect-proof screening. Additionally, several employees were noted to be handling food items without essential sanitary gear, such as hair caps and aprons.
This is not the first time Zomato’s warehousing practices have been questioned. In June, a Blinkit warehouse, also owned by Zomato, was raided in Devar Yamjal, Medchal Malkajgiri district, where officials flagged unhygienic conditions, expired goods, and signs of possible food infestations.
An NDTV report on this matter quoted Blinkit as saying in response, “We take safety and hygiene standards very seriously. We are closely working with our warehouse partner and the Food Safety Department to implement corrective actions from the findings.”
Zomato has not yet responded to this latest raid at the Hyperpure facility in Kukatpally. However, the findings have renewed fears on Hyperpure’s quality control measures, especially in light of earlier allegations surrounding “Analogue Paneer.”
Weeks ago, a screenshot of Hyperpure’s website which was selling “Analogue Paneer” to restaurants had gone viral on social media. The panner was selling for just Rs. 205 per kg, while real paneer usually costs five times as much. Zomato’s instructions said that the paneer was “fit for tikka & gravy paneer dishes”. Fake paneer is made of vegetable fat unlike real paneer which has milk fats, and could be determinantal to people’s health. There had been considerable outrage over Zomato helping restaurants scam customers by selling fake paneer which is then labeled and sold as real paneer.
Hyperpure has become a sizable part of Zomato’s business, serving over 30,000 restaurants in 10 major cities across India. HSBC recently attributed a $1.6 billion valuation to Hyperpure, reflecting its major role in Zomato’s growth strategy. However, business analysts suggest, such malpractices could potentially harm the brand’s reputation built over the years.
In the lead-up to Diwali, Hyderabad’s food safety department intensified its inspections across food outlets and warehouses, highlighting grave safety issues not only in distribution facilities but also in food outlets throughout the city.
