Thane: Rat Found In Ice Cream Freezer At Kalyan Blinkit Outlet, Sparks Food Safety Concerns

A rat was allegedly found inside an ice cream freezer at a Blinkit outlet in the Godrej Hill area of Kalyan, Thane, Maharashtra. The incident has once again sparked concerns over food safety among consumers.

According to a recent Moneycontrol report, a group of youngsters who visited the store to purchase ice cream noticed the rat near packaged food items and recorded the incident on their phones.

Locals seek FDA action

Following the incident, locals have called for action by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The alleged incident comes amid the Maharashtra FDA’s ongoing inspection drive covering online food storage, sale and delivery establishments.

As part of its recent inspections, the FDA reportedly inspected 86 establishments across Maharashtra and found multiple food safety and hygiene lapses involving platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart. The regulator has also suspended 14 licences following the inspections.

However, so far, the outlet or the brand has not yet issued any statement on the incident.

FDA issues notices to actors

Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday, the FDA, headed by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their association with a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The actors were directed to remove promotional content related to the advertisement from their social media accounts within 15 days under the Consumer Protection Act.

The three actors had appeared in an advertisement promoting Vimal Elaichi, a brand associated with pan masala, in 2024.

FDA steps up inspections

Under Mundhe’s direction, the FDA has also conducted several raids at food outlets and other establishments in recent weeks. Several establishments have reportedly been ordered to shut down or cease operations following inspections that found food safety violations and hygiene lapses.