Maharashtra Food Raid Exposes Systematic Falsification of Expiry Dates and Nutrition Labels on PepsiCo, Nestle, and Unilever Export Products
Introduction
Global food safety regulators have long identified falsified expiry dates and manipulated nutrition labels as among the most serious threats to cross-border consumer protection — a problem that disproportionately affects imported packaged goods where oversight gaps between exporting and importing nations create exploitable blind spots. In August 2026, that threat moved from regulatory concern to confirmed criminal operation, as Indian authorities dismantled what officials described as a systematically organised labelling fraud network operating out of Maharashtra state. The investigation, which centred on the falsification of expiry dates and nutrition labels affixed to original products manufactured by globally recognised brands, has drawn international attention and prompted at least one foreign government — Canada — to begin assessing the risks posed to its food import chain.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Completes Six-Day Raid, Seizing Nearly US$80,000 in Fraudulently Relabelled Goods
Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially concluded a six-day enforcement operation on or around August 25, 2026, targeting a privately owned warehousing entity identified as Sadhana Enterprises, located in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai — approximately 25 kilometres from Mumbai’s international airport. The raid resulted in the seizure of close to 5,000 cartons of consumer food products with a combined estimated value of nearly US$80,000.
Tukaram Mundhe, the newly appointed head of the Maharashtra FDA, who has gained public prominence through a series of unannounced inspections at elite venues across the state, personally led the operation and provided an on-the-record assessment of its findings. “I am absolutely shocked by the scale. It is like organised activity. It’s been done systematically,” Mundhe stated in comments reported by Reuters, which obtained exclusive access to the warehouse during the investigation. Mundhe further called for supply chain accountability from global manufacturers, stating: “Everybody needs to take this seriously. Companies have to abide with compliances and ensure that branding, packaging and sale is done as per regulations.”
The warehouse is co-owned by Jayprakash Sanchatiram Singh and Jaya Navrang Bahadur Singh. Reuters reported that calls to both individuals went unanswered. It remains unclear as of publication whether any arrests have been made in connection with the case.
Seized Products Include Lay’s, Maggi, Kurkure, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Thums Up, and Limca — All Destined Exclusively for Export Markets
Authorities confirmed that all stock held within the Turbhe warehouse was intended for export, with no products designated for the domestic Indian market. According to documentation reviewed by Reuters, Sadhana Enterprises carried out the relabelling activities on behalf of 19 small-scale, largely unknown exporters.
The seized inventory included products from four multinational corporations:
- PepsiCo India: Lay’s potato chips and Kurkure snack products
- Nestlé India: Maggi Masala Noodles
- Hindustan Unilever (the Indian subsidiary of Unilever): Knorr Mushroom Soup and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise
- Coca-Cola India: Thums Up and Limca canned beverages
Officials determined that the majority of the seized products were either already expired or approaching their expiry dates at the time of the raid. A police case document reviewed by Reuters states that the original dates of manufacture and expiry had been “scratched out, erased” and that “new information printed over them” constituted fraudulent misrepresentation, adding that “harmful food products are being exported for sale, thereby defrauding customers.”
Investigators also found that at least one batch of products inside the warehouse had been reprinted with a future manufacturing date of October 2, 2026 — a date that had not yet occurred at the time of seizure — further evidencing the premeditated nature of the operation.
None of the four multinationals — PepsiCo, Nestlé, Hindustan Unilever, or Coca-Cola — responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. The police case document did not accuse any of the global companies of wrongdoing.
The Operation Targeted Export Markets With Falsified Bilingual Labels Designed to Align With Foreign Regulatory Standards
A segment of the international food import market has long faced exposure to products that misrepresent their origin, shelf life, and nutritional content — and the Maharashtra case illustrates how such schemes are engineered specifically to evade the labelling requirements of destination countries.
Inside the warehouse, Reuters photographer Francis Mascarenhas documented the operational infrastructure used to carry out the fraud. Chemical solvents were identified as the primary tool for erasing manufacturers’ original expiry dates and ingredient information from packaging. A printing machine mounted on a metal table — bearing a small “I love my India” sticker — was used to produce and apply replacement labels. A computerised system allowed operators to enter falsified manufacturing and expiry dates using a stylus on a screen, after which the machine printed and affixed the fraudulent labels directly onto original product packaging and beverage cans.
Critically, the relabelling was calibrated to meet the requirements of specific foreign markets. Reuters documented dozens of Maggi noodle cartons fitted with fake nutrition labels describing the product as a “Product of India,” effectively reformatting domestic goods as export-compliant items. One Kurkure packet bore a bilingual nutrition label in English and French — consistent with requirements in Canada and parts of West Africa — in which the cereal product content listed in the ingredients had been reduced by 10 per cent, and both the calorie count and serving size figures had been altered, apparently to align with the nutritional disclosure standards of the target market.
The exact destination countries for the shipments remain unconfirmed. However, following news of the raid, Canada announced it was formally assessing the risks to its food import supply chain, according to a related report published on September 3, 2026.
The Raid Reflects a Broader Enforcement Drive Under Maharashtra FDA’s New Leadership Amid Longstanding Weaknesses in India’s Food Safety System
Public records and media coverage confirm that food safety enforcement in India has historically been concentrated on domestic adulteration issues — particularly the contamination of dairy products during festival seasons — with comparatively limited resources directed at export-chain fraud. The Maharashtra FDA’s recent escalation of inspections under Tukaram Mundhe represents a notable departure from this pattern.
Mundhe, whose unannounced visits to elite restaurants and clubs in Maharashtra have earned him widespread media coverage and a substantial social media following, turned his enforcement focus toward the export supply chain with the Turbhe operation. The six-day investigation, which granted Reuters exclusive on-site access, resulted in the documentation of an end-to-end fraudulent relabelling process operating within a gated, four-room warehouse facility beneath a tin roof — an operation described in official documents as both systematic and organised.
The Turbhe warehouse case has prompted calls from regulators, trade analysts, and international food safety bodies for stricter supply chain verification protocols on Indian food exports, particularly for products bearing the branding of global multinationals.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Maharashtra Food Label Fraud Raid
What was the Maharashtra FDA raid about? The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration conducted a six-day raid at a warehouse in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai, operated by Sadhana Enterprises, uncovering an organised scheme to falsify expiry dates and replace nutrition labels on original food products manufactured by PepsiCo, Nestlé, Unilever, and Coca-Cola, with all goods destined for export markets.
Which products were found with falsified expiry dates and nutrition labels? Seized products included PepsiCo’s Lay’s and Kurkure snacks, Nestlé’s Maggi Masala Noodles, Unilever’s Knorr Mushroom Soup and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, and Coca-Cola’s Thums Up and Limca cans — totalling nearly 5,000 cartons valued at approximately US$80,000.
How were the expiry dates falsified? Operators used chemical solvents to erase the original expiry and manufacturing dates printed on packaging. A computerised system then generated new falsified dates, which were printed and applied to the products using a label-printing machine inside the warehouse.
Were the products intended for sale inside India? No. Maharashtra FDA head Tukaram Mundhe confirmed that all stock within the Turbhe warehouse was designated exclusively for export. None of the products were destined for the domestic Indian market.
Were the multinational brands — PepsiCo, Nestlé, Unilever, and Coca-Cola — implicated in wrongdoing? The police case document did not accuse any of the global companies of wrongdoing. The fraud was attributed to Sadhana Enterprises and 19 small-scale exporters on whose behalf the relabelling was allegedly conducted. PepsiCo, Nestlé, Hindustan Unilever, and Coca-Cola did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
What countries were the relabelled products destined for? The specific destination countries were not confirmed in the police case documents. However, at least one Kurkure pack bore a bilingual English-French nutrition label — consistent with labelling requirements in Canada and certain francophone markets — and Canada subsequently announced it was assessing risks to its food import chain following news of the raid.
How did the nutrition labels differ from the originals? According to Reuters’ on-site reporting, one falsified Kurkure label reduced the quantity of cereal products listed in the ingredients by 10 per cent and altered the calorie count and serving size figures, apparently to conform to the nutritional disclosure standards of the intended export destination.
Closing Summary
The Maharashtra FDA’s August 2026 raid on Sadhana Enterprises in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai, has exposed a methodical, export-focused food labelling fraud operation involving original products from four of the world’s largest consumer goods companies. Authorities seized nearly 5,000 cartons of goods valued at approximately US$80,000, including products bearing the names Lay’s, Maggi, Kurkure, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Thums Up, and Limca — all with falsified expiry dates and, in several cases, altered nutrition information designed to satisfy foreign import regulations. Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has called on multinational manufacturers to enforce supply chain compliance, stating that companies must ensure “branding, packaging and sale is done as per regulations.” The case has drawn international scrutiny, with Canada among the first foreign governments to formally review its exposure to the affected supply chain.
This report is based on information sourced from Reuters’ exclusive on-site coverage, official Maharashtra state media releases, and police case documentation reviewed during the August 25, 2026 enforcement operation in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai, India.
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