A woman from Chennai has alleged that two of her family members were admitted to hospital after consuming food ordered from Blinkit. Claiming concerns about food safety, she added that the grocery delivery app handled the situation in a very unprofessional manner. Though the woman could prove that the paneer caused the illness, she stated that it was the only food item that the two had consumed in common.
Sharing a post on Instagram, the woman, identified as Gowthami, narrated her family's experience in a detailed post, where she revealed that she had ordered Milky Mist Paneer from the app Blinkit.
The woman said that she checked the expiry date before cooking the dairy product. She did not even find anything wrong with the packaging. “Nothing seemed unusual. So we cooked it without a second thought," she wrote. But the following day, the only two family members who had eaten the paneer developed severe health issues. “The very next day, the only two family members who ate the paneer started having continuous vomiting, loose motions and severe stomach pain," she added.
'Expected Empathy'
The pain worsened to an extent that they had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. “Everyone else who didn’t eat the paneer was completely fine," she said, adding that she could not say for sure what caused the illness, but this was the only food they had in common.
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After the incident, the woman contacted Blinkit to address the issue. However, she alleged that the complaint was repeatedly transferred between customer support agents before ultimately being closed because she could not provide the empty product packet.
“I expected empathy and a proper investigation, not just a request for packaging I had no reason to preserve," she mentioned. “Ever since this happened, I’ve been anxious about buying packaged products." She also said she now plans to prepare paneer at home whenever possible.
The caption read, “I’m sharing this only to create awareness because no family should have to go through what we did. When a customer reports that two family members were sick after consuming a product, the complaint deserves to be taken seriously and investigated properly. Most people don’t keep empty packets when the expiry date is valid, and the packaging looks perfectly fine."
Netizens React
The post soon gained multiple reactions, with netizens sharing similar experiences on social media. A user said, "I also doubt the quality of this brand. I made paneer curry twice, and the paneer was as hard as rubber. 100% fake."
A second user commented, "Most of the problems with the food we order through these platforms are due to storage issues. Nothing there is taken seriously. Vegetables, fruits – everything is dumped on the floor and in corners. It's better to step out and get them from the market."
A third user said, "Milky Mist paneer has really messed up my gut big time. I fall sick every time I have their paneer. Very poor quality, and the texture is too bad."
MilkyMist Responds
The company reached out to the woman personnally, Commenting about the response, the woman wrote, "Update:After my post, the senior team from Milky Mist, including their manager and MD, reached out to me personally. They took the time to understand everything that happened, explained their manufacturing process in detail, and even shared videos of their facility.
They also informed me that they are now looking closely into the e-commerce delivery and storage process to understand what may have happened. I have shared all the details I had with them, and they have assured me they will investigate further and get back to me with an update.
I appreciate them taking my concern seriously and reaching out directly. I will share any further updates once I receive them.
Thank you for taking action on this, @milkymistdairy."