Canadian food safety authorities are examining whether a warehouse operation in Mumbai that allegedly used fake expiry dates and nutrition labels on food products could pose a risk to imports into Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said it is monitoring the situation but currently has no information indicating that products linked to the operation entered Canada.
Fake labels raise concerns beyond India
Indian authorities raided a Mumbai warehouse last week and seized food products worth nearly $80,000, along with chemicals and printing equipment allegedly used to alter expiry dates and nutritional information.
The products included snacks and other food items associated with major companies such as PepsiCo, Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Unilever. The companies have not been accused of wrongdoing, with the investigation focused on exporters allegedly involved in the unauthorised relabelling.
The CFIA said it takes food fraud seriously, including false date markings, inaccurate nutrition information and misleading claims about a product’s origin.
One packet offered a major clue
A packet of PepsiCo’s Indian Kurkure snacks photographed by Reuters at the warehouse reportedly carried a fake nutrition label in English and French.
The bilingual format is significant because Canadian food labelling rules require nutrition information to be provided in both English and French.
Indian officials said products found at the warehouse had either expired or were approaching their expiry dates. The warehouse operators were reportedly working on behalf of 19 little-known exporters, although the final destinations of the products remain unclear.
Companies distance themselves from exporters
PepsiCo told Reuters that it had no commercial engagement with the export companies mentioned in reports about the raid.
The company said its snack products manufactured in India are intended for sale in India unless it specifically authorises their export.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said authorities had written to the concerned agencies about their findings and that the exporters involved would be investigated.
Canada has not found linked imports
The CFIA said it would continue assessing whether the Mumbai operation presents any risk to Canadian imports.
If non-compliant food products are identified in Canada, the agency said possible measures could include removing products from the market, suspending licences and imposing financial penalties.
The investigation has therefore raised an important question for international food trade: could falsely labelled products from the Mumbai operation have reached overseas consumers? So far, Canadian authorities say they have no evidence that products connected to the operation entered Canada.