The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to six authorities, including the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Delhi Food Safety Department, the Commissioner of Police, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police for South East Delhi, following allegations that expired packaged food and beverages were being re-labelled and sold from a premises in Delhi's Okhla area. The Commission has directed these authorities to submit an action taken report (ATR) within two weeks.
Allegations of Organised Food Fraud
The action was taken under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, after a complaint alleged that expired packaged food and consumer products were being tampered with by removing or concealing original expiry dates and affixing fabricated labels with fake expiry dates and product details. The complaint named several packaged food and beverage brands and claimed that the products were subjected to fraudulent re-labelling before being reintroduced into the market.
The NHRC observed that if the allegations are established, such organised tampering constitutes a grave act of food fraud involving deception, misbranding, and misrepresentation. The Commission noted that the practice could compromise consumer safety, particularly for children, elderly persons, and other vulnerable groups, while also indicating the possible existence of organised networks involved in the storage, re-labelling, and distribution of expired food products.
Directives for Investigation and Enforcement
The NHRC has directed the Delhi Government's Food Safety Department and the FSSAI to take measures to detect and curb fraudulent re-labelling of expired food products. They have been asked to undertake inspections and enforcement drives across manufacturers, warehouses, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and storage facilities dealing in packaged food.
The Commission has also called for a comprehensive investigation to identify and dismantle organised networks involved in expiry label tampering and counterfeit packaging. It has urged stringent legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act and other applicable laws wherever violations are established.
Public Disclosure by NHRC Member
The development came hours after NHRC member and former National Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Priyank Kanoongo shared details of the operation on X. “Selling Bournvita and Maggi with fake labelling is an attack on India’s children!!” he wrote, adding that a raid in Okhla had uncovered a gang allegedly printing fake expiry dates and nutrition value charts before affixing counterfeit labels on products. “The operation is ongoing; remaining information to follow,” he said.
Kanoongo also shared a video from the premises, where he is seen inspecting packaged food items carrying duplicate labels and seeking details from officials present during the inspection. The NHRC's intervention underscores the seriousness of the issue, with potential implications for public health and consumer rights.
