Authorities in Jaipur seized and destroyed approximately 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired packaged food items after a raid on a warehouse allegedly involved in relabelling expired products for resale.
The operation was carried out by the Commissionerate of Food Safety and Drug Control, Rajasthan, following a complaint received through the state government’s 181 helpline reporting suspicious activity at a warehouse, as reported by ETV Bharat.
As reported by ETV Bharat, the warehouse was operating under the name M/s Athlete Distributor, located in the Kho Nagoriyan area of Jaipur and the raid was conducted by officials after the helpline complaint flagged suspicious activities.
Officials said the warehouse owner allegedly planned to sell the expired items after altering the expiry dates.
During questioning, the proprietor reportedly admitted to authorities that he had learned methods of removing expiry dates from online videos and planned to sell the repackaged products through distribution channels and online platforms.
The inspection also revealed that the warehouse was operating with an expired food license, which constitutes a regulatory violation under food safety laws.
During the inspection, officials discovered around 12,000 cartons of expired packaged food products, including noodles, sauces, beverages, and other non-dairy items.
Authorities also found evidence suggesting that expiry dates had been tampered with or erased from several cartons.
According to reports, around 3,000 cartons had their expiry markings removed, and chemicals such as thinner and acetone were reportedly found at the warehouse, allegedly used to erase the original labels.
Investigators also discovered 4,500 new cartons bearing the Amul brand, which were allegedly intended to be used to repackage the expired goods and sell them again in the market at higher margins.
Following the seizure, officials transported the confiscated goods to a Jaipur Municipal Corporation dumping ground, where the expired food products were destroyed.
Earlier batches of seized products were also disposed of in multiple trucks during the enforcement operation.
Food safety authorities confirmed that samples of certain items were collected for testing, and the premises were subsequently sealed.
Expired packaged foods may pose potential health risks depending on the product type and storage conditions.
Food safety experts note that expired items may:
Lose nutritional quality
Develop microbial contamination
Cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or food poisoning
Expiry dates are established by manufacturers to indicate the period during which the product is expected to remain safe and maintain its intended quality when stored properly.
Tampering with these labels can therefore create significant public health risks if contaminated or degraded food products reach consumers.
(Rh)
