FDA busts Navi Mumbai food packaging racket, seizes expired stock worth over Rs 76 lakh

FDA and police bust expiry-date tampering racket in Navi Mumbai

The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), in a joint operation with the Navi Mumbai police's Crime Branch, has busted a food packaging racket in Navi Mumbai that altered manufacturing and expiry dates on food products, seizing stock worth more than Rs 76 lakh, officials said.

The crackdown was conducted between August 24 and 29 at M/s Sadhna Enterprises in the Turbhe area of Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai township, according to a release by the FDA. The establishment was found storing, repacking, and illegally tampering with labels of products linked to 10 prominent exporter companies in Mumbai, New Delhi and Noida, the FDA said.

Seized items and value

The seized items included popular snacks, beverages, and instant foods, including wafers and potato chips, noodles of a popular brand, soup, mayonnaise packets and cans of major aerated drink brands, the FDA release said. Times Now reported that the seized products included potato chips such as Lay's, Kurkure variants, Fun Flips, Maggi Masala and Atta Noodles, and ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook products.

Authorities seized 4,942 cartons of food stock valued at Rs 75,21,269, along with unlabeled and expired goods of Rs 1,30,600, the release said. Times Now reported a slightly different figure, stating that the department seized 8,442 cartons linked to 10 exporter companies, with a total value of Rs 75,21,269, and that unlabeled stock and expired food products worth around Rs 30,600 were also seized, taking the total value of the seized material to Rs 75.52 lakh.

How the racket operated

The operation involved erasing original manufacturing and expiry dates from packaging, printing new dates, and placing fresh stickers over original ingredient and nutritional information to resell expired stock, the FDA said. Times Now reported that during inspections, it was allegedly found that manufacturing and expiry/use-by dates printed on food product packaging were being replaced, and that original labels of ingredients and nutritional information were replaced with new stickers and the entire stock was repackaged, enabling the sale of products beyond their expiry dates or shelf life.

Legal action and samples

The food license of the establishment was immediately suspended, the FDA said. An FIR has been registered at Turbhe police station against the partners and associated exporters under various sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the FDA said. Times Now reported that the FIR was registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and that a probe was underway.

Samples were also collected from some products for lacking required FSSAI licenses and purchase bills, the FDA said. Times Now reported that samples were collected from Unique Fragrances and Pristine Worldwide as they allegedly did not have the necessary FSSAI licence and purchase bills.

FDA statement

"The government is extremely strict regarding food quality and law enforcement in Maharashtra. Playing with the health of consumers and the general public will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Strict legal action will continue against those who store or sell expired or tampered food items," the FDA stated.