India busts firm faking expiry dates, nutrition labels on PepsiCo, Nestle food exports

Mumbai, India—Indian authorities have conducted a six-day raid on a Mumbai warehouse that had been producing and exporting counterfeit food products, including those from major brands like PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Unilever. The operation, carried out by Indian state authorities, seized nearly $80,000 worth of goods. The warehouse, operated by a company named Sadhana Enterprises, was found to have been producing and selling food products with falsified expiry dates and ingredient labels in order to export them to other countries.

The Maharashtra state government, led by new Food and Drug Administration head Tukaram Mundhe, has stepped up its efforts on food safety, conducting high-profile inspections that have made Mundhe a notable figure in the media. Mundhe expressed shock at the scale of the operation, describing it as a coordinated effort. Indian officials stated that most of the products found were either expired or close to being expired.

Additionally, the fraudulent labels included translations in English and French, suggesting the products were being prepared for international markets.

The illicit warehouse was located in the industrial area of Navi Mumbai, about 16 miles from Mumbai's international airport. The seized products included Lay’s potato chips, Maggi noodles, Knorr soup, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and Thums Up soda. Many of the products had their original dates and ingredient labels removed, replaced with new, fraudulent information. Chemicals and equipment used to alter the labels were also discovered within the warehouse.

While the global companies involved have not commented on the incident, food safety officials in India have called for stricter enforcement of regulations and greater accountability within the supply chain.