MUMBAI: A suspected food adulteration racket involving the replacement of manufacturing and expiry dates on packaged products has been busted in Navi Mumbai, with the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seizing food items worth Rs 75.52 lakh, including Maggi and Lay’s products, officials said on Monday.The action was carried out jointly by the FDA and Navi Mumbai Police Crime Branch between August 24 and 29, following inspections at Sadhana Enterprises in Turbhe’s TTC Industrial Area.The FDA said its inspection found that the manufacturing and expiry or use-by dates printed on food product packaging were allegedly being replaced, news agency PTI reported.Original labels containing ingredient and nutritional information were also allegedly removed and replaced with fresh stickers.The products were then repackaged, allowing them to be sold beyond their expiry dates or prescribed shelf life, the department said.The seized stock included potato chips and snacks such as Lay’s, Kurkure variants, Fun Flips, Maggi Masala and Maggi Atta Noodles, besides ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook food products.The FDA seized 8,442 cartons linked to 10 exporter companies, with the stock valued at Rs 75,21,269, according to its statement.Officials also seized unlabeled stock and expired food products worth around Rs 30,600, taking the total value of the seized material to approximately Rs 75.52 lakh.Following the operation, the licence of Sadhana Enterprises, located in Turbhe’s TTC Industrial Area, was suspended, the FDA said.Samples were also collected from Unique Fragrances and Pristine Worldwide after officials allegedly found that the establishments did not possess the required FSSAI licence and purchase bills.A First Information Report was registered at Turbhe police station under provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.The probe into the alleged expiry-date tampering and repackaging of food products is underway, the FDA reported.(With agency inputs)
