Canada assesses risks to imports after India raid finds fake labels on food products

Ottawa and New Delhi - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is investigating whether an illegal operation in India that labelled food products with fake nutrition information and expiry dates poses a risk to Canadian imports. Indian authorities conducted a raid last week at a Mumbai warehouse, seizing nearly $80,000 worth of products and equipment used to alter dates and nutritional information on items from major brands including PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Unilever.

The companies have not been accused of any wrongdoing and the investigation is focused on rogue exporters. The CFIA stated it is monitoring the situation to determine if the incident poses any risk to imports into Canada. "The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes food fraud, including false date markings, inaccurate nutrition information, and misleading origin claims seriously," it added.

This is the first foreign agency to comment on the incident. The Mumbai raid is part of a sweeping food safety campaign in India, where both federal and state authorities are intensively scrutinizing hygiene standards and food safety laws, issuing instant suspension orders in some cases. A packet of PepsiCo's Indian brand Kurkure puffed chips found during the raid bore a fake label with English and French nutrition information, in line with Canada's dual language labelling rules.

Indian officials reported that the relabelled products were expired or close to expiry. The Maharashtra FDA Commissioner leading the operation said 19 unknown exporters were involved in the falsification activities, though the target countries remain unclear. PepsiCo declined to comment on any commercial relationship with the implicated export companies, stating its Indian-manufactured snacks are intended for domestic sale unless explicitly authorized for export. India's commerce ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.