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There was a time when eating outside was a luxury. Today, for millions of Indians, it has become a necessity. From groceries delivered in ten minutes to five-star hotel buffets and neatly packed sweets from famous brands, we trust that the food reaching our plates is safe. But over the past few weeks, that trust has taken one hit after another.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the licence of a Blinkit dark store in Mumbai’s Malad West after inspectors found cockroach infestations, food stored directly on the floor, rusted racks, expired products and even signs of tampered packaging. Around the same time, Reliance Retail had to recall its “Laxmi Narayan” kaju katli after a customer found live worms inside the sweets. In Bengaluru, inspections at several luxury hotels uncovered expired chicken, meat, fish, milk, vegetables and spoiled bakery products in kitchens belonging to some of India’s biggest hospitality names. Since May, Maharashtra’s FDA has inspected over 3,100 establishments, issued more than 760 improvement notices, suspended 165 licences and seized or destroyed food worth more than ₹55 crore.
These are not small roadside stalls struggling to survive. These are billion-dollar corporations with modern warehouses, quality control teams and endless resources. If companies of this scale are failing basic food safety checks, then ordinary consumers have every reason to ask one simple question — who exactly is protecting our food?
A convenient excuse every time
Whenever incidents like these come to light, the explanation is almost always the same. It was a mistake by the local branch. A manager failed to follow protocol. The issue was isolated and corrective action has been taken.
But that explanation becomes difficult to accept when the same companies proudly advertise their standardised operations, centralised quality control and uniform customer experience across India. If success belongs to the entire company, shouldn’t failure also belong to the entire company?
A cockroach infestation is not something that appears overnight. Expired food doesn’t accidentally remain on shelves for weeks. Worms don’t suddenly appear inside packaged sweets the moment a customer opens the box. These are failures that point towards weak systems, poor monitoring and a dangerous lack of accountability.
Ironically, many people still remember local vendors who maintained cleanliness with far fewer resources. Long before hygiene campaigns became common, countless street food sellers understood one simple rule — if customers lose trust, your business is over. That basic principle seems to have disappeared somewhere between neighbourhood food stalls and billion-rupee corporations.
When profits become more important than people
Modern India depends heavily on packaged food, restaurants and food delivery platforms. Busy lifestyles have left many families with little choice but to rely on ready-to-eat meals and processed food. Companies know this. They know consumers are unlikely to stop ordering food overnight.
That dependence makes accountability even more important.
There is a difference between compromising on taste and knowingly selling expired or contaminated food. One may affect customer satisfaction. The other directly puts public health at risk. Yet, despite repeated inspections and violations, the consequences often seem limited to licence suspensions, temporary closures and public apologies before business resumes as usual.
Interestingly, Indian law is far stricter than many people realise. Section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provides for severe punishment, including life imprisonment in cases where unsafe food causes death. However, such provisions have rarely been seen reaching the boardrooms of major corporations.
The United States offers a striking example. Following the Peanut Corporation of America salmonella outbreak that sickened hundreds and caused multiple deaths, CEO Stewart Parnell was sentenced to 28 years in prison after investigators found evidence that contaminated products had knowingly been shipped to customers. It sent a clear message that corporate executives could be held personally responsible for decisions that endangered public health.
India does not need harsher laws. It already has them. What many consumers are asking for is consistent enforcement, regardless of whether the offender is a roadside vendor or one of the country’s biggest business groups.
Food is not just another product. It is something every person consumes every single day. When consumers place their trust in a company, they expect more than attractive packaging and catchy advertisements. They expect safe food.
If India’s largest companies proudly claim responsibility for their profits, they must also accept responsibility when their food puts consumers at risk. Because expired food, contaminated sweets and unhygienic kitchens should never be dismissed as just another “local manager’s mistake.” They are reminders that accountability should be just as large as the brands behind them.
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