MUMBAI: Indian food safety authorities have uncovered an illegal operation in Mumbai where expiry dates, manufacturing details and nutritional information were allegedly removed from packaged food and replaced with falsified labels before the products were exported.
The operation was uncovered during a six-day inspection of a warehouse in Navi Mumbai, around 25 kilometres from Mumbai’s international airport. Authorities seized food products estimated to be worth nearly $80,000.
Reuters was granted access to the facility during the investigation and observed chemicals allegedly used to erase original dates and ingredient information, along with printing equipment used to produce replacement labels.
The seized stock included potato and corn chips, masala noodles, mushroom soup, mayonnaise and soft drinks. Officials said nearly 5,000 cartons were found at the premises, with many products either expired or approaching their expiry dates.
‘Systematic’ operation
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration chief Tukaram Mundhe described the scale of the alleged operation as alarming, saying the evidence pointed to an organised and systematic activity.
“I am absolutely shocked by the scale. It is like organised activity,” Mundhe told Reuters.
The warehouse, operated by privately owned Sadhana Enterprises, was allegedly handling products on behalf of 19 relatively unknown exporters, according to a state government statement and a police case document.
Authorities said the entire stock recovered from the facility was intended for export, although the destination countries had not been identified.
According to the police document, original manufacturing and expiry information had been scratched off or chemically removed before new details were printed over the packaging.
Chemicals, printers found
Officials discovered a chemical solvent inside the facility that they said was being used to remove dates printed on food packages.
Investigators also found computer-operated printing equipment that could be used to generate replacement manufacturing and expiry information.
Authorities alleged that workers entered new dates using a stylus connected to a computer before applying the replacement labels to food packaging and cans.
The police case has not accused any international food manufacturers of involvement in the alleged scheme.
Mundhe, however, said food companies and exporters needed to strengthen oversight of their supply chains and ensure that packaging, branding and distribution complied with food safety regulations.
“Companies have to abide by compliances and ensure that branding, packaging and sale is done as per regulations,” he said.
The crackdown forms part of Maharashtra’s wider food safety campaign under Mundhe, whose surprise inspections of restaurants, clubs and other establishments have attracted significant public attention.
