A joint operation by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Navi Mumbai Police Crime Branch has uncovered an alleged racket involving the alteration of manufacturing and expiry dates on packaged food products at a facility in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai. Conducted between August 24 and 29, the operation targeted Sadhana Enterprises in the TTC Industrial Area, where officials allegedly found expired products being repackaged and their original dates erased or overwritten with newer ones.
Popular brands including Lay’s, Kurkure, Maggi, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Thums Up and Limca were among the products seized. The FDA said 4,942 cartons valued at ₹75.21 lakh were seized, while additional unlabeled and expired stock worth around ₹30,600 took the total value to approximately ₹75.52 lakh. The licence of Sadhana Enterprises has been suspended and an FIR registered. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining the role of multiple exporter and trading firms linked to the stock.
How Were The Expiry Dates Allegedly Altered?
According to the FDA, the facility was being used to store food products belonging to several exporter companies. Officials allegedly found that original manufacturing and expiry or ‘use-by’ dates were being erased using thinner and replaced with fresh dates through an inkjet printing machine. In some cases, stickers carrying altered ingredient and nutritional information were allegedly pasted over the original labels.
The products recovered included several variants of Lay’s and Kurkure, Maggi Masala and Atta Noodles, Bingo, Fun Flips, Knorr soup, Rasoi ready-to-eat products, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and Thums Up and Limca cans. The FDA said action was taken against stock linked to multiple exporter entities. Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe stressed that consumer health would not be compromised, stating that Maharashtra was “strict about food quality and enforcement of the law” and that legal action would continue against those found tampering with or selling expired food.
FIR Registered, Probe Into Exporters Underway
The case was registered following a complaint by Food Safety Officer Prashant Shivram Pawar against the facility’s partners, Jayprakash Sanchatiram Singh and Jaya Navarang Bahadur Singh, along with several exporter firms. The FIR invokes provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as well as sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to offences including cheating and forgery. Authorities said firms able to produce valid FSSAI licences, purchase bills and export-related documents had their stocks cleared as genuinely intended for export.
However, three entities, Unique Fragrances, Pristine Worldwide and Vipul Doshi, reportedly failed to produce the required documentation, and samples were collected for verification. Joint Commissioner (Food) Santosh Kamble said the products were reportedly being circulated within India as well as exported to other countries. The probe will now have to establish how long the alleged operation had been running, who supplied the products and whether any tampered stock reached consumers.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Food labels are more than packaging details, they give consumers the basic information they need to decide whether a product is safe to eat. Allegedly changing expiry dates undermines that trust and can put unsuspecting families at risk, particularly when products are sold under familiar brand names that consumers naturally associate with safety and quality.
At the same time, the investigation must distinguish clearly between companies and individuals against whom there is evidence of wrongdoing and those whose goods may have been stored at the facility without knowledge of the alleged tampering. Strong enforcement, transparent investigation and accountability across the supply chain are essential to protect consumers without resorting to premature conclusions. How can regulators and food companies work together to make packaged-food supply chains more transparent and ensure consumers can trust the labels they see?
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