Zomato's Deepinder Goyal blames manual typing error for 'future-dated' mushrooms
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has responded to the recent food safety concerns raised after 90 packets of button mushrooms were found in Hyperpure's Hyderabad warehouse with a future packaging date. Goyal blamed the issue on a "manual typing error" by the vendor and stressed Zomato's commitment to high food safety standards. He explained the warehouse team had already identified and rejected these wrongly labeled packets during inward quality check.
Vendor delisted, Hyperpure's stringent guidelines highlighted
Goyal further explained that the vendor responsible for the error has been removed from their database. He highlighted Hyperpure's strict inward guidelines and advanced tech systems that enabled the timely identification of this error. "At Hyperpure, we have stringent inward guidelines and tech systems that helped our teams to identify this error in time," Goyal wrote in his post on X.
Commitment to food safety standards
The CEO reiterated Zomato's commitment to maintaining industry food safety standards and not compromising on product quality at any stage of the supply chain. He also mentioned that the latest food safety inspection at their Hyderabad warehouse had given them an A+ rating, the highest benchmark in FSSAI's ranking. "We are committed to upholding industry food safety standards and are focused on not compromising on product quality at any stage of the supply chain," Goyal stated.
Goyal questions focus on rejected mushroom packets
Goyal also questioned why there was so much talk about a packet of mushrooms worth ₹7,200 that "was never going to make it to customers," even as the warehouse got an A+ rating from FSSAI. He hinted that "some people benefit from the virality which they get at the expense of pulling down the Zomato brand" and "maybe we all love to believe the narrative that 'all big business is bad business.'"
How it started?
The Zomato controversy arose when food officials raided the company's Hyperpure facility in Kukatpally, Hyderabad, on October 29, discovering 18kg of button mushrooms labeled with a packaging date of October 30. The Hyperpure facility functions as a Food Business Operator (FBO), providing hotels, caterers, and restaurants in the area with fruits, vegetables, meats, gourmet foods, seafood, packaging, consumables, kitchen equipment, and more.
Other issues noted during inspection
The inspection also flagged other problems like the presence of house flies inside the warehouse and absence of proper insect-proof screen. Some food handlers were also found without hair caps and aprons. These were found despite the warehouse having its license, medical fitness certificates for food handlers, and pest control records in place.
