Delhi Raid Uncovers Expired Food Relabelling Operation: Products May Have Reached E-Commerce Platforms
A joint team of Delhi Police, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials, and other authorities raided a commercial unit in southeast Delhi's Okhla Industrial Area on July 2, uncovering an alleged operation that relabelled expired food and beverage products with fresh dates. The products, including popular brands such as Thums Up, Fanta, Bournvita, Horlicks, Maggi noodles, and Paper Boat beverages, were allegedly sourced from wholesalers across multiple states and may have been supplied to e-commerce platforms for sale to consumers.
The raid was initially prompted by a tip-off about suspected child labour at the premises located on plot X-57. However, investigators found evidence of a larger fraud: workers were allegedly removing original manufacturing and expiry dates from expired goods and replacing them with new labels extending shelf life by five to six months. According to a senior police official, the goods were then dispatched to warehouses, possibly including those operated by e-commerce companies. The authorities have alerted the concerned companies as they probe the scale of the operation.
Seven individuals were arrested, including the alleged owner, Darshan Singh Sachdeva, a 70-year-old resident of Greater Kailash. The accused reportedly used thinner applied to paper or cotton to erase original dates, then used handheld printers to stamp new dates. If erasure was incomplete, similarly sized stickers with new dates were pasted over the old labels.
Investigations revealed that the unit had been operating for about four years, sourcing near-expiry products from 60–70 suppliers in Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. Workers at neighbouring factories reported that trucks arrived regularly, but they were never allowed inside. The unit claimed it was packaging goods for export to countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The unit was sealed following the raid. Authorities are now tracing the supply chain to determine how much relabelled product reached consumers and to ensure accountability under food safety laws.
