Rajasthan’s Food Safety Department destroyed about 1.5 lakh kilograms of expired food products after cracking down on a local distribution company that purchased Amul-branded items just before their sell-by date and sold them by tampering with the packaging labels, reports stated on Tuesday. A team of medical and health officials raided a warehouse in Jaipur, seizing nearly 12,000 cartons of expired goods, according to reports. (Photo courtesy of HT File/Representative Image). The operation came after a complaint lodged through the state government’s 181 helpline about suspicious activities at M/s Athlete Distributor in the Kho Nagorian area, according to The Times of India. Principal Secretary for Health, Gayatri Rathore, stated that the complaint was lodged via the department’s helpline. A team under the leadership of the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Jaipur-II conducted a raid on the warehouse, seizing approximately 12,000 cartons of expired products such as noodles, ketchup, mayonnaise, and energy drinks. The warehouse was running under suspicious circumstances, as neighbors noted that after 10 to 12 workers entered, the main gate stayed closed all day, food safety commissioner T Shubhmangala reportedly stated. Investigators also discovered bottles of thinner, acetone, and other chemicals used to remove printed dates from about 3,000 cartons, reported The Indian Express. Authorities also discovered 4,500 fresh Amul-branded cartons meant for repackaging the expired stock. Additional commissioner Bhagwat Singh claimed that the firm’s operator, Gagan Ahuja, “admitted” learning the technique of changing expiry dates to offload outdated items from YouTube videos. The expired goods were destroyed over four days. Twenty-seven trucks were needed to haul the goods to a dumping yard, at the distributor’s cost. Authorities were still probing how many, if any, of these items remained in circulation. The products were made by the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union in Gujarat and supplied by Advansis India Private Limited. Company representatives confirmed that expiry dates had been removed and stated that Ahuja typically bought near-expiry items at steep discounts, according to the TOI report. Amul has yet to respond to the news coverage. Officials noted that the warehouse has been sealed and the company prohibited from food business activities.