Quick commerce boom faces backlash over food safety failures

As India’s quick commerce industry surges ahead, driven by a digitally connected population and a mounting appetite for speed and convenience, a growing chorus of concern is beginning to cloud its glossy ascent. At the heart of the controversy: troubling lapses in food safety standards.

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In a high-profile regulatory crackdown, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra suspended operations at several “dark stores” run by leading platforms Zepto and Blinkit, citing poor hygienic conditions, substandard cold storage monitoring, and staff operating without protective gear. The action comes amid a broader investigation into safety violations across the industry’s rapidly expanding network of fulfillment hubs.

What began as isolated complaints is now snowballing into a reputational crisis for the sector, raising urgent questions about the cost of India’s delivery revolution.

“This is not just a blip—it’s a systemic failure,” said Mohit Hira, co-founder of Myriad Communications and venture partner at YourNest. “Quick commerce platforms are leveraging tech to scale at speed, but in doing so, many are circumventing basic food safety norms. In a hyper-connected world, one violation can spark a trust deficit that’s hard to reverse.”

Indeed, violations are stacking up. Last year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued warnings to state regulators over the sale of near-expiry products via quick commerce platforms. Unscheduled national inspections may follow as regulatory scrutiny deepens.

Consumers have begun voicing frustrations online. In one widely shared LinkedIn post, Hyundai Motor India’s Lalit Devnani recounted receiving an expired ice cream tub from Zepto. The company refunded the product, but did not reimburse taxes and handling fees, he noted. Meanwhile, Bharat Jain, a principal at EFESO Management Consultants, detailed receiving expired dosa batter not once, but thrice, from Swiggy Instamart. “They acknowledged it. They apologized. They even replaced it. But the problem keeps recurring,” he said.

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Such incidents have emboldened critics who say the industry is trading consumer safety for operational speed. “Brands are definitely prioritising convenience and profit over food safety,” said Saurabh Parmar, Fractional Chief Growth Officer said. “I don't think it comes from a deliberate effort to undermine food safety, but just that it's such a competitive space, government regulations for dark stores are not clearly defined," he added.

The numbers underscore the sector’s explosive growth. Quick commerce companies in India operated approximately 1,800 dark stores in FY24. That figure is projected to triple to 5,500 by FY26, according to HSBC Global Research.

But scale may be outpacing oversight.

A recent complaint by a Shiprocket employee exposed price inconsistencies on Blinkit, where the same product listed at different maximum retail prices depending on the user’s location. Blinkit attributed the issue to a technical glitch under investigation.

Further complicating the picture, the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has alleged that some platforms are dumping near-expiry or slow-moving inventory through deep discounting tactics. The Competition Commission of India has requested formal evidence.

Brand experts say these developments risk eroding the very foundation on which quick commerce rests: consumer trust.

“Quick commerce brands are chasing quick turnover, but in doing so, they may be taking shortcuts that are anything but clean,” said Harish Bijoor, a business and brand strategy specialist. “Food safety isn’t optional—it’s existential.”

Recent industry reports signal massive upside. A Chryseum study projects India’s quick commerce market will triple in value from $3.34 billion in 2024 to nearly $10 billion by 2029. Kearney research shows food and household staples are leading categories in the shift to app-based commerce. But when it comes to fresh produce, a number of consumers interviewed by Storyboard18 report abandoning the category entirely, citing “rotten” or “spoiled” items.

Parmar believes rebuilding trust requires not just operational fixes but better communication. “What I'm surprised by is that none of these major businesses have a crisis communication team which takes a more immediate view when a concern like this arises, both from not just from a strategic perspective, but more from a communication perspective".

As the quick commerce sector matures, experts warn that the road ahead must balance speed with safety. If not, a race to the consumer’s doorstep may end in a reputational dead-end.

“In business, the one intangible that makes or breaks a brand is trust,” said Hira. “Lose that, and you’ve lost the market.”

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