Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has seized expired food items and medicines worth Rs 1.43 crore during a series of inspections across Bengaluru, including facilities linked to Amazon and Swiggy’s Instamart.
The checks were triggered after scrutiny related to so-called “peptide parties” in the city. Based on documents submitted in connection with one such event in Koramangala, officials inspected an Amazon facility in Devanahalli and examined product labels for manufacturing and expiry dates, storage period and other food safety standards.
At the Devanahalli site, officials seized food items worth Rs 14 lakh for incorrect or incomplete labelling and expired food worth Rs 10 lakh, taking the total to Rs 24 lakh. They also seized medicines worth Rs 2.45 lakh that were allegedly procured without the required licence. A separate inspection at an Amazon centre in Anekal led to seizures worth Rs 32 lakh.
Officials also inspected other locations following complaints and surveillance. At Saptha Bazaar in HBR Layout, expired items including cashews, biscuits, ragi flour, chicken cutlets, paneer, cookies, eggs and flour worth about Rs 10,000 were seized. At “Leo 7 Enterprises” in Lingarajapuram, expired or near-expiry nutrition products, soft drinks, chocolates, sweets, ghee and seeds worth Rs 56 lakh were confiscated.
In Hoskote, where Swiggy’s Instamart warehouse is located, expired food items worth Rs 42 lakh were seized. Authorities said an inquiry is also under way into food items worth Rs 1 crore that were allegedly expired and wrongly labelled. Health Minister K H Muniyappa said warehouses storing expired goods have been sealed and legal consultations are under way to initiate criminal action against those endangering public health.
