The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said it was assessing whether the operation posed any potential risk to food products imported into Canada, while stressing that there is currently no evidence that products linked to the warehouse entered the country.
The investigation follows a raid by Indian authorities on a Mumbai warehouse last week, where officials seized food products valued at nearly $80,000, along with chemicals and printing equipment allegedly used to alter expiry dates and nutritional information.
The products reportedly included items manufactured by major international companies such as PepsiCo, Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Unilever. None of the companies has been accused of wrongdoing, with the investigation focused on exporters allegedly involved in the unauthorised relabelling operation.
The CFIA said in a statement that it was “monitoring the situation to determine whether it presents any risk to imports into Canada.”
“At this time, the CFIA has no information indicating that products associated with this operation entered Canada,” the agency said.
It added that it takes food fraud, including false expiry dates, inaccurate nutritional information and misleading claims about the origin of products, seriously.
Canadian-Style Label Raises Concern
The discovery of a PepsiCo product carrying what appeared to be a Canadian-style label has added a new dimension to the investigation.
A packet of Kurkure, PepsiCo’s Indian brand of puffed snacks, photographed by Reuters inside the raided warehouse reportedly carried nutrition information in both English and French.
Canada requires food labels to provide certain information in both official languages, making the presence of the bilingual label particularly significant to investigators trying to determine where the relabelled products may have been intended to go.
Indian authorities said the products found at the warehouse had either expired or were approaching their expiry dates. Officials also said the warehouse operators had been working on behalf of 19 relatively unknown exporters.
However, it remains unclear which countries the goods were ultimately intended for.
PepsiCo Denies Link to Exporters
PepsiCo said it had no commercial relationship with the exporters identified in reports about the operation and rejected any suggestion that it had authorised the activities.
“Our snack food products manufactured in India are meant for sale in India, unless otherwise specifically authorised by us to be exported,” the company said in a statement.
The company also said it did not endorse or support any unauthorised export of its products.
The distinction is important because the investigation centres on what Indian officials describe as rogue exporters rather than the multinational manufacturers whose products were reportedly found at the warehouse.
India’s commerce ministry, which has oversight of the country’s exports, had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Indian Authorities Intensify Food Safety Crackdown
The Mumbai raid forms part of a wider food safety enforcement drive currently under way in India, where federal and state authorities have increased inspections of food businesses and exporters.
Authorities have been targeting poor hygiene practices, violations of food safety regulations and other activities that could put consumers at risk. In some cases, enforcement agencies have issued immediate suspension orders following inspections.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who led the Mumbai operation, said authorities had informed relevant government agencies about their findings.
“We have written to concerned authorities about our findings, who will investigate details of the exporters involved,” Mundhe told Reuters.
The investigation is expected to focus on how the products were obtained, altered and prepared for possible export, as well as the destinations they were intended to reach.
Canada Warns of Action Against Non-Compliant Food
The Canadian review underscores the growing scrutiny facing food products that cross international borders, particularly where inaccurate labels or altered expiry dates are involved.
The CFIA said that when non-compliant food products are identified in Canada, it can take measures to protect consumers. Such measures may include removing products from the market, suspending licences and imposing financial penalties.
For now, Canadian authorities have not identified any affected products in the country.
However, the discovery of a food package bearing English-and-French nutritional information has raised questions about whether some of the relabelled goods may have been prepared specifically for markets with strict bilingual labelling requirements.
Investigators in India and Canada will therefore be watching the case closely as authorities work to establish the intended destinations of the products and determine whether any unauthorised shipments reached international consumers.