In a major crackdown in Navi Mumbai, the food safety officials busted a racket selling food products by altering its expiry and manufacturing dates before the packages were repackaged and exported. Popular food and beverage brands such as Kurkure, Lays, Knorr, Maggie, Rasoi, Hellmann's, Thums Up and Limca seized from the warehouse. The stock was jointly seized by the Maharashtra Food And Drug Administration (FDA) and Navi Mumbai Police Crime Branch.
Several products were being seized from the outlet
The seized products included multiple flavours of Lays, such as Classic Salted, Magic Masala, Spanish Tangy Tomato, Sizzling Hot and Lemon Chilli variants. Some Kurkure products including Masala Munch, Red Chilli Chataka, Naughty Tomato, Solid Masti, Green Chutney, Schezwan Chutney and Puffcorn Yummy Cheese were also seized. The stock also included Knorr Mushroom Soup, Rasoi curry pastes and Hellmann's mayonnaise.
The joint operation was conducted on August 24 and 29 at the premises of Sadhana Enterprises in the Turbhe TTC Industrial Area, after the Navi Mumbai police station received the information.
Dates Altered, Ingredients Changed
During the operation, the FDA officials had found that dates were being removed or overwritten on the food packaging. Items such as inkjet printers, thinners and specially prepared stickers, allegedly used to erase and write new dates on the packaging, were seized in the operation, NDTV reported.
In some packages, the nutritional information and details about ingredients were also changed and replaced with new stickers, the officials found. Amid the crackdown, the food safety officials secured the warehouse during the operation, with security cordons placed around the premises.
According to the FDA, 8,442 cartons linked to 10 exporter companies, with a declared value of Rs 75,21,269, were seized during the operation, the report said. Another set of unlabeled stock and expired food products, valued at about Rs 30,600, was recovered directly from the premises. Besides Mumbai, export-import companies from Delhi and Noida are also involved.
The seized food products are valued at around Rs 75 lakh, according to the FDA. Some preliminary information about the raid had put the seized quantity at 4,142 cartons worth more than Rs 75 lakh. In a subsequent statement, the FDA put the figure at 8,442 cartons associated with 10 exporter companies.
Maharashtra FDA Crackdown Intensifies
This comes a week after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration had suspended business food licenses of several food establishments of the state. The eateries included the Bombay Presidency Radio Club and a McDonald’s outlet in south Mumbai, after inspections found serious violations of food safety and hygiene norms. The action comes after an intensified crackdown by the FDA under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who took charge in May. In a recent special drive, officials inspected 89 hotels, restaurants and dhabas across Maharashtra, issuing improvement notices to 71 establishments and suspending the licences of 13.