- Indian authorities raided an illegal operation in Mumbai that faked expiry dates and nutritional information on food exports from PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Unilever, seizing goods worth nearly $80,000.
- Officials found nearly 5,000 cartons of consumer products, including Lay's, Kurkure, Maggi Masala Noodles, Knorr Mushroom Soup, Hellmann's Mayonnaise, Thums Up and Limca cans, with many having their dates removed.
- Mundhe, a food officer, expressed shock at the scale, calling it organised activity done systematically, and noted that all stock was for export, though the destination countries were unclear.
- The warehouse, located in Navi Mumbai around 25 km from Mumbai's international airport, was run by Sadhana Enterprises, and its owner said activities were carried out on behalf of 19 little-known exporters.
- The operation used chemicals to erase original dates and labels, then printed and applied replacements, with an operator entering fake expiry and manufacturing dates using a stylus on a computer screen.
- The police document stated that original manufacture and expiry dates had been scratched out, erased, and new information printed over them.
- Some packs were being reprinted with a future manufacturing date of October 2, 2026, and at least one PepsiCo packet had a bilingual label in English and French.
- Fake labels were used to align with foreign regulations, such as a Kurkure pack with a bilingual label that reduced cereal content by 10% and altered calories and serving size, and a Maggi carton with a fake nutrition label describing it as a "Product of India".
Indian authorities have uncovered a significant food packaging racket in Navi Mumbai, seizing goods worth nearly $80,000 from a warehouse operated by Sadhana Enterprises.167
The operation involved faking expiry dates and nutritional information on products from major brands like PepsiCo, Nestle, and Coca-Cola.
Nearly 5,000 cartons of popular snacks and beverages were found, including Lay's chips, Maggi noodles, and Thums Up cans.23141516
The warehouse, located about 25 km from Mumbai's international airport, was reportedly run on behalf of 19 lesser-known exporters.
Authorities discovered chemicals used to erase original expiry dates and machines for printing fake labels.
“The original date of manufacture and expiry date on the packaging of the food articles had been scratched out, erased ... (and) new information printed over them,” stated a police document.
Investigators noted that some products were being reprinted with future manufacturing dates, including one label indicating a date of October 2, 2026.1213
The fake labels also altered nutritional information, reducing cereal product quantities by 10% and adjusting calorie counts to meet foreign regulations.
“I am absolutely shocked by the scale. It is like organised activity. It's been done systematically,” said Mundhe, an official involved in the investigation.45
The ultimate destination of the products remains unclear, but all stock was intended for export.
“The warehouse, run by Sadhana Enterprises, held nearly 5,000 cartons of Lay's, Kurkure, Maggi, and Thums Up with dates removed. Officials found chemicals used to erase original labels and reprint fake ones, with some packs given a future manufacturing date of October 2, 2026.”
