1.5 lakh kg expired food items destroyed in raid

Jaipur: In a major crackdown by the food safety commissionerate, around 1.5 lakh kg expired food products were seized and destroyed in Jaipur after officials uncovered an alleged plan to erase expiry dates and relabel the stock as Amul brand for resale.The destruction process lasted four days, with the expired stock transported in 27 trucks to a dumping ground.
The action followed a complaint received on the state govt's 181 helpline about suspicious activity at M/s Athlete Distributor in Kho Nagoriyan area. The chief medical health officer Jaipur-II led a team to inspect the firm's warehouse and found nearly 12,000 cartons of expired food products, including noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise, energy drinks and other non-dairy items.Officials said expiry dates had already been erased from products stored in about 3,000 cartons. Thinner, acetone, chemicals and other materials allegedly used to remove printed dates were recovered from the site. Authorities also found 4,500 new Amul-brand cartons, which were allegedly meant to be used for repackaging the expired stock before resale at high margins.According to the department, the products were manufactured by M/s Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union, Gujarat, and supplied by M/s Advansis India Private Limited. During the investigation, representatives of the firms reportedly confirmed that expiry dates had been removed. They also stated that Gagan Ahuja of Athlete Distributor used to purchase near-expiry goods at very low prices.Food safety commissioner T Shubhmangala said the warehouse was operating under suspicious conditions, with neighbours reporting that once 10 to 12 workers entered, the main gate remained shut all day. Officials also found that the food license of M/s Athlete Store had expired.Additional commissioner (food safety) Bhagwat Singh said the accused allegedly told officials that he had learned the method of changing expiry dates from a social media platform. The food safety team collected samples, seized the stock, machines and related materials, and sealed the premises. Officials said the department will file a court complaint against Athlete Distributor under multiple provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Notices have also been issued to Kaira and Advansis India for alleged supply and licensing irregularities.