Key Update

The Food Safety Department in Rajasthan has destroyed nearly 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired food products after taking action against a local distribution firm accused of altering expiry details on packaging and selling outdated items, reports said on Tuesday. Officials said the distributor allegedly purchased near-expiry products of the brand Amul, modified the information, did repackaging, and then supplied them to the market.

Raid at Jaipur Warehouse

The operation began after a complaint was filed through the state government’s 181 helpline about suspicious activity at M/s Athlete Distributor in the Kho Nagorian area of Jaipur. The complaint was received through the health department’s helpline, according to Principal Secretary (Health) Gayatri Rathore. Following the complaint, a team led by the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Jaipur-II, raided the warehouse and recovered nearly 12,000 cartons of expired food items, including noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise and energy drinks.

Food Safety Commissioner T Shubhmangala said the facility had been operating under suspicious conditions. Neighbours reportedly told authorities that once workers entered the premises in the morning, the main gate remained closed throughout the day.

Chemicals Used to Remove Expiry Dates

During the raid, investigators discovered thinner, acetone and other chemicals that were allegedly used to erase printed expiry dates from around 3,000 cartons of products. Officials also found 4,500 new Amul-branded cartons that were reportedly intended for repackaging the expired goods. Additional Commissioner Bhagwat Singh said the distributor’s operator, Gagan Ahuja, admitted to learning the method of altering expiry dates from videos on YouTube.

Expired Stock Destroyed

Authorities disposed of the seized products over four days, transporting the stock to a dumping yard using 27 trucks. The cost of the disposal was borne by the distributor. Officials are still investigating whether any of the altered products had already reached the market.

Warehouse Sealed, Licence Expired

The seized products were manufactured by the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union in Gujarat and supplied by Advansis India Private Limited. Company representatives reportedly confirmed that the expiry dates had been removed. They also noted that the distributor usually purchased products close to their expiry date at heavily discounted prices.

Authorities have sealed the warehouse and barred the firm from conducting food-related business. Officials also found that the distributor’s food licence had already expired.

Source: Hindustan Times