In a sweeping crackdown on food safety violations, authorities in Rajasthan have destroyed nearly 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired Amul-branded non-dairy products in Jaipur after a distributor was allegedly caught altering expiry dates to push the items back into the market.
The large-scale operation was carried out by the state’s Food Safety Department after a complaint was filed through the government’s 181 public grievance helpline, prompting officials to raid a warehouse in Jaipur’s Kho Nagorian area.
According to Principal Secretary of the Medical, Health and Family Welfare Department Gayatri Rathore, a team from the Chief Medical Officer’s office in Jaipur II rushed to the site after the complaint alleged that Messrs Athlete Distributor was attempting to sell expired food items by manipulating packaging details.
Massive stockpile uncovered during inspection
During the raid, officials discovered a huge cache of cartons stacked inside the warehouse. The consignment included Amul-branded non-dairy products such as noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise and energy drinks, manufactured by Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union, Gujarat, and supplied through Advansys India Private Limited.
Authorities said around 12,000 cartons contained expired products, while another 3,000 cartons showed signs of tampering, with expiry dates allegedly erased from the packaging.
Investigators also recovered thinner, acetone and other chemicals believed to have been used to remove printed expiry dates from the product labels.
Officials suspect the distributor planned to reprint new expiry dates, repack the items in about 4,500 fresh Amul-branded cartons, and reintroduce them into the market.
‘Inspection team shocked by scale’
Additional Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Control Bhagwat Singh said the inspection team was stunned by the scale of the alleged operation.
According to officials, the businessman admitted during questioning that he had learned techniques to alter expiry dates from YouTube videos.
27 truckloads destroyed over four days
The quantity of seized material was so large that the destruction process continued for four days. Authorities loaded the confiscated goods onto 27 trucks and transported them to a garbage dumping site, where the products were destroyed at the distributor’s expense.
Food Safety Commissioner Dr T Shubhamangala said officials had earlier received information about suspicious activity at the warehouse.
Neighbors reportedly told investigators that 10 to 12 workers would enter the premises each morning, after which the main gate remained shut throughout the day and no outsiders were allowed inside.
Warehouse sealed, legal action initiated
Officials also found that the food license of Messrs Athlete Store had already expired, adding to the list of violations.
Authorities said notices have been issued to Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union and Advansys India Private Limited for further action under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.
The warehouse has been sealed, and the distributor’s food business operations have been banned pending investigation.
Officials said a formal complaint will be filed against Messrs Athlete Distributor under multiple provisions of the FSSA for storing expired products, allegedly tampering with expiry labels, operating without a valid license, and failing to comply with food safety directives.
