Indian quick commerce startup Zepto is under intense scrutiny following serious allegations of food safety violations and unhygienic working conditions. The controversy escalated after Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the company’s food business license for its Dharavi hub in Mumbai earlier this month.
The suspension came after an FDA inspection uncovered multiple violations, including the presence of fungus-infected food items, unsanitary storage areas, expired goods stored alongside fresh produce, and improper cold-chain practices. These findings raised grave concerns about Zepto’s compliance with essential food safety norms.
Matters worsened when a viral Reddit post by a former employee shed light on alleged internal malpractice. The post claimed that during the monsoon season, flooding would cause gutter water to seep into a Pune warehouse, where grocery items were still packed and dispatched without regard for contamination risks. The whistleblower also described rampant use of expired dairy products, rotten vegetables, and inadequate packaging, along with long working hours in unsafe conditions, often without proper protective equipment or fair compensation.
The public backlash has been swift and severe. Social media users have voiced their anger, sharing their own experiences of spoiled deliveries, quality issues, and poor service, while calling for greater accountability in the quick commerce industry. Zepto, once seen as a rising star in the space, now faces the challenge of regaining consumer trust.
With regulatory scrutiny likely to tighten and customers growing more cautious, Zepto will need to take urgent corrective measures, reinforce quality assurance protocols, and rebuild its tarnished image to remain competitive in the market.
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