Patna: The food safety department on Thursday halted the sale of food products worth over Rs 2 crore at a Blinkit warehouse on Bypass Road and destroyed expired and damaged items during inspections of its stores, 9 to 9 supermarkets and YO China restaurant. Establishments found violating safety and hygiene norms were issued 14-day improvement notices, said a press release issued by the health department.Acting on the directions of food safety commissioner Kumar Ravi, the team inspected storage conditions, sanitation and licence compliance at multiple locations.At the Blinkit warehouse in Nasirpur, Tajpur, officials halted the sale and distribution of 25 tonnes of 276 varieties of farm products, along with 3,102 kg of pulses and 190 kg of nuts under the basic brand. The total value of the stock was estimated at over Rs 2 crore, said the press release.At a 9 to 9 outlet in SK Nagar, 152 kg of expired and damaged sattu, semolina, gram flour, wheat flour, refined flour and spices were destroyed.A Blinkit store in Indrapuri was found stocking 49.5 litres of expired Amul milk, said the press release. Six samples of rice, ghee, semolina, mixed pickle, Glucon-D and sugar were sent for laboratory testing. At another Blinkit store in Anandpuri, officials found dusty racks and vegetarian and non-vegetarian products stored together in a freezer room. Around 190 kg of food items, including coconut powder, laddoos and flour, worth Rs 16,000, were destroyed, it added.Inspections at Aditya 9 to 9 supermarket in Kankarbagh and a Blinkit outlet in Sadikpur revealed further violations, including missing pest-control arrangements and employee health certificates, improper storage of food and non-food items, and licence discrepancies. Samples of sago and turmeric were collected.At Aditya 9 to 9 supermarket on Ashiana Road and YO China restaurant in the same building, officials destroyed expired seasoning, MSG, sweet corn and insect-infested flour. The restaurant was also found to have an uncovered drain and inadequate kitchen sanitation, said the press release.The department directed the establishments to rectify deficiencies within 14 days, warning that failure to comply could lead to licence suspension and further legal action.
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