India Busts Operation Faking Expiry Dates on Major Food Products

Indian authorities have raided an operation in Mumbai that faked expiry dates and nutritional information on food products manufactured by major companies, including PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Unilever. The raid was part of a six-day investigation led by Tukaram Mundhe, the head of Maharashtra state's Food and Drug Administration. Nearly $80,000 worth of goods were seized from the warehouse, which was run by Sadhana Enterprises.

The operation involved using chemicals to remove original expiry dates and ingredient labels, then printing new ones on packaging and cans. Some products were expired or near-expired, and changing their dates allowed them to be exported for sale in other countries. Mundhe said that the scale of the operation was shocking and that it was like an organised activity.

The seized goods included PepsiCo's Lay's potato chips and Maggi noodles from Nestle. The fake labels were found on products destined for export, including some with English and French labels. It is not clear which countries received these products, but Mundhe said that all the stock was meant for export.