Live Rat Found Inside Blinkit Ice Cream Freezer in Kalyan, Video Goes Viral

Kalyan, 17th August 2026: A live rat was reportedly spotted roaming inside an ice cream freezer at a Blinkit dark store in the Godrej Hills area of Kalyan, Thane district, raising concerns over food hygiene and storage standards. A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media.

According to reports, some customers visiting the store to purchase ice cream noticed the rat inside the freezer. The incident was immediately recorded on video, showing the rodent moving around the area where ice cream products were being stored.

The incident has raised questions about hygiene and pest-control measures at quick-commerce stores, particularly because ice cream and other ready-to-eat products are stored for direct consumption.

It is not yet clear how the rat entered the freezer or whether any food products were contaminated. Further details are expected following an official inspection or investigation by the concerned authorities.

The incident comes amid increased scrutiny by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of quick-commerce and online food-delivery establishments. The inspections are focused on food storage, hygiene, temperature control, waste management and pest-control practices.

According to reports, the FDA inspected 86 establishments associated with platforms including Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart, with 60 improvement notices reportedly issued. Some establishments also faced action involving their licences.

Previous inspections have reportedly identified issues including poor sanitation, inadequate waste management, drainage problems, pest infestation, improper food segregation and failure to maintain appropriate temperatures for frozen food.

The viral Kalyan video has once again highlighted concerns over food safety standards at dark stores, where products are stored and dispatched to customers within minutes.