1.5 lakh Kg Amul products seized, destroyed in Jaipur after expiry dates changed

In a major crackdown, Rajasthan’s Food Safety Department destroyed nearly 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired non-dairy food products of the Amul brand in Jaipur after officials alleged that the items were being prepared for sale by removing the original expiry dates and replacing them with new ones.

Principal Secretary of the Medical, Health and Family Welfare Department, Gayatri Rathore, said the action followed a complaint received on the 181 helpline. The complainant had alleged that a distributor, Messrs Athlete Distributor, was planning to sell expired products from a warehouse in the Kho Nagorian area of Jaipur. Acting on the information, a team from the Chief Medical Officer, Jaipur II, was sent to inspect the location.

Rathore said the inspection team discovered a large quantity of food cartons stored in the warehouse. These reportedly included several non-dairy products under the Amul brand, such as noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise and energy drinks, manufactured by Messrs Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union in Gujarat and supplied by Messrs Advansys India Private Limited, Indian Express reported.

Officials said around 12,000 cartons contained products that had already crossed their expiry dates, while in about 3,000 cartons the expiry dates on the packets had allegedly been erased. During the inspection, the team also found thinner, acetone and other chemicals at the site, which were suspected to have been used to remove the printed dates. According to officials, a businessman associated with Messrs Athlete Distributor was allegedly planning to print fresh dates on the products, repack them into around 4,500 new Amul-branded cartons and sell them for profit.

Additional Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Control Bhagwat Singh said the team was shocked to see such a large quantity of expired food items. Authorities also claimed that during questioning the businessman admitted that he had learned how to alter expiry dates on packaged goods through videos on YouTube. Due to the massive quantity involved, the operation continued for four days, with the material loaded onto 27 trucks and transported to a garbage dumping site where it was destroyed at the distributor’s expense.

Food Safety Commissioner Dr T Shubhamangala said the department had earlier received information about suspected illegal food storage and sales at the warehouse. He added that neighbours had reportedly told officials that after about 10 to 12 employees entered the premises each morning, the main gate would remain shut until evening and outsiders were not allowed inside. He also claimed that the food licence of Messrs Athlete Store had expired.

Officials said notices were being issued to both firms — Messrs Kaira and Messrs Advansys — for further action under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006. Authorities alleged that company representatives had confirmed that expiry dates on the Amul-branded products had been removed and that the businessman used to purchase near-expiry goods at very low prices. The warehouse has since been sealed and the firm’s food business operations have been suspended pending further action.

The Food Safety Department also said a formal complaint would be filed against Messrs Athlete Distributor under relevant provisions of the FSSA for allegedly storing expired goods, attempting to sell them by altering expiry dates, operating without a valid food licence, removing seized material from the site and failing to follow instructions issued by the Food Safety Officer.