NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Mumbai, India, September 3, 2026— A food-tampering operation uncovered in Navi Mumbai allegedly erased expiry and manufacturing dates from branded packaged foods and replaced them with new dates before the products were prepared for export, prompting Canadian authorities to investigate whether any of the goods may have entered Canada.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration, working with Navi Mumbai police, uncovered the operation at Sadhana Enterprises in the Turbhe industrial area during an investigation conducted Aug. 24-29. Officials found thousands of cartons of food products, along with chemicals allegedly used to erase original markings and equipment to print replacement dates and labels.
The products included Lay’s and Kurkure chips, Maggi noodles, Knorr soup, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Thums Up and Limca beverages and other packaged foods from major manufacturers including PepsiCo, Nestlé, Unilever and Coca-Cola.
The companies whose products were found at the warehouse have not been accused of involvement in the alleged scheme.
Officials said many of the products were expired or approaching their expiry dates. Investigators allege that original manufacturing and expiry or use-by dates were scratched out or erased with chemicals and replaced with new dates using printing equipment.
In some cases, the manipulation went beyond expiry dates.
Investigators also found replacement labels containing altered ingredient and nutritional information. One Kurkure packet examined by Reuters carried a replacement nutrition label in English and French, similar to the bilingual format required in Canada. The altered information included changes to the stated cereal content, calories and serving size.
Some packages were allegedly given manufacturing dates that had not even occurred. Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told Reuters that investigators found products carrying a manufacturing date of Oct. 2, 2026.
Mundhe described the alleged operation as systematic and said the scale of the activity had shocked investigators.
Authorities said the goods at the warehouse were being prepared for export, although investigators have not established publicly which countries were intended destinations.
The discovery of the English-French label has now drawn attention from Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Thursday that it is assessing whether the operation poses any risk to Canadian food imports.
“At this time, the CFIA has no information indicating that products associated with this operation entered Canada,” the agency told Reuters.
The agency said it takes food fraud involving false date markings, inaccurate nutritional information and misleading origin claims seriously. Canadian authorities can order products removed from the market and impose other sanctions when non-compliant food is identified.
PepsiCo told Reuters it has no commercial relationship with the export companies referenced in reports about the case and does not support unauthorized exports of its products. The company said snack foods it manufactures in India are intended for the Indian market unless specifically authorized for export.
According to Maharashtra authorities, Sadhana Enterprises told investigators that it carried out the work on behalf of multiple exporters. Officials have referred information about exporters linked to the warehouse to relevant authorities for further investigation.
An FIR has been registered at Turbhe police station under provisions of India’s Food Safety and Standards Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Sadhana Enterprises’ food license has been suspended.
Reports differ on the precise amount of stock involved. The Indian Express, citing the FIR and FDA information, reported that action was taken against approximately 4,942 cartons valued at more than Rs 75 lakh, while other reports have cited higher carton counts. Reuters, whose photographer was given access to the warehouse during the investigation, reported nearly 5,000 cartons and goods worth close to $80,000.
The case raises broader concerns for consumers overseas who buy packaged Indian foods through importers and ethnic grocery stores. So far, however, there is no evidence that products connected to the alleged operation reached Canada or the United States.
The CFIA is the first foreign food-safety authority known to have publicly responded to the investigation. Maharashtra authorities are continuing to trace the exporters and the destinations of the relabeled products.
