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Dahisar residents team up with FDA to trap man who sold stale goodies

For two years, mobile van drove into IC Colony every Sunday and sold cosmetics and food products that were well past their expiry date

Virat A Singh Mumbai Mirror

Posted On Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 03:05:20 AM

Alert residents of Dahisar New Link Road Residents Forum helped the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raid a mobile shopping van that was openly selling cosmetics and food products that had passed their expiry date. The raid took place on Sunday and an FIR was registered on Monday.

According to members of New Link Road Residents Forum (NLRRF), people from IC Colony informed them about the van which would be stationed near Corporation Bank every Sunday, selling goods that appeared suspect.

“They were afraid of complaining to the police. So, posing as customers we went there on May 1 and brought a can of Tuna fish. On opening it we found black spots on the fish,” said Harish Pandey, secretary of NLRRF.

The two vendors, with a carton of the outdated products, being taken into police custody after the FDA raid on Sunday Pandey, along with other forum members, decided to check things out again on Sunday May 8. “The van was there and doing good business. Unsuspecting customers were picking up products without thinking twice about who these people were and how was it that they were selling food products on the road. The products included jams, sauces, mayonnaise, corn flakes and cheese. There were also cosmetics,” said Dr Arelene D’Souza, another member. “They did not provide bills and as we feared the products might be bad, we approached FDA.”

On receiving the complaint, S S Deshmukh, assistant commissioner, FDA, sent a team of food inspectors to investigate the matter on Sunday. Around 5.45 pm, after the van arrived, they approached it as customers. In no time the inspectors realised that several of the products had surpassed their expiry date and had been re-labelled.

“We noticed that several products being sold had stickers bearing new batch numbers and expiry dates pasted on them. We have seized samples and sent them for testing. An FIR was registered against the vendors under the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act Section 7 (1) (5) and 50 also IPC Sections 420 and 272 at the MHB Police Station, Borivali,” said food inspector Harsha Yeole who registered the FIR on Monday. She added that further action will be taken on basis of the lab report.

“Selling of products beyond expiry dates is illegal. People should refrain from buying products from suspect mobile shops and also check if they think the expiry dates have been tampered with, as consuming such food products might be harmful,” said Deshmukh. He added that people should insist on proper bills while buying food products.