Food safety watchdogs and police in Maharashtra have uncovered a major racket where expiry dates on popular household food brands were chemically altered before being prepared for export.

During a joint operation conducted by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and Navi Mumbai police's Crime Branch between August 24 and 29, investigators raided a warehouse in Turbhe's TTC Industrial Area. They seized goods worth over Rs 75 lakh, exposing a scam that allowed expired items to be sold as fresh.

Famous brands target of tampering

The raid uncovered thousands of altered packets of well-known snacks and beverages. Among the seized stock were popular items like Lay’s chips, Kurkure, Maggi noodles, Knorr soups, and Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Soft drinks like Thums Up and Limca were also found.

Investigators discovered that workers at Sadhana Enterprises were using thinners, inkjet printers, and custom stickers to erase and overwrite original manufacturing details. They also swapped ingredient and nutrition labels with fake stickers before repackaging the expired food.

Severe action against exporters

In total, officials confiscated 8,442 cartons connected to ten export firms, alongside unlabelled expired stock. The network reportedly stretches beyond Mumbai to export-import operations in Delhi and Noida.

The FDA has suspended Sadhana Enterprises' licence. Furthermore, samples were taken from two other firms, Unique Fragrances and Pristine Worldwide, which allegedly operated without the required food safety licences or purchase records. The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under the Food Safety and Standards Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.