What did Indian authorities discover during the raid on the illegal warehouse in Navi Mumbai?

Indian authorities discovered a clandestine operation in Navi Mumbai that used chemical solvents to erase original expiry and manufacturing dates from food products—including PepsiCo's Lay's and Kurkure, Nestle's Maggi noodles, Unilever's Knorr soup and Hellmann's mayonnaise, and Coca-Cola's Thums Up and Limca—and then printed and applied fake labels using computer-controlled printing machines; officials found nearly 5,000 cartons of such tampered goods, with evidence including solvent cans, label-printing equipment, and stacks of pre-printed replacement labels, all destined for export.

Who was operating the illegal labeling facility, and what was their stated role in the supply chain?

The facility was operated by privately owned Sadhana Enterprises, whose owner claimed they carried out the date and label alterations on behalf of 19 little-known exporters, according to a Maharashtra state media release and a police case document; the warehouse was located in an industrial area of Navi Mumbai, about 25 km from Mumbai’s international airport, and all seized stock was confirmed by FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe to be intended for export—though the destination countries were not identified.

India Busts Firm Faking Expiry Dates, Nutrition Labels on PepsiCo, Nestle Food Exports

Sep 1, 2026

Indian authorities raided a Mumbai warehouse, seizing nearly $80,000 worth of food products from major firms like PepsiCo and Nestle that had falsified expiry dates and nutrition labels. The operation targeted export goods, prompting calls for stricter supply chain accountability.

reuters

2026-09-01

India Busts Firm Faking Expiry Dates, Nutrition Labels on PepsiCo, Nestle Food Exports

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India Busts Firm Faking Expiry Dates, Nutrition Labels on PepsiCo, Nestle Food Exports

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