India Cracks Down on Fake Food Labels in Export Scandal

Indian authorities raided an illegal operation in Mumbai that faked expiry dates and nutritional information on food products from top brands like PepsiCo, Nestle, and Coca-Cola to export them to other countries. The investigation uncovered a warehouse run by Sadhana Enterprises, where officials found nearly 5,000 cartons of consumer products with fake labels and removed original expiration dates.

The seized goods were worth around $80,000, according to the authorities. Many of the Kurkure and Maggi packets, as well as Thums Up cans, had their dates removed. The chemicals used to erase dates from the packets included a solvent that officials said was used for this purpose.

Inspectors also found machines to print and apply replacements for labels. The fake labels showed new information printed over the original packaging. One sample of Maggi cartons in the warehouse had a fake nutrition label pasted on top, describing it as a 'Product of India'.