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Stale food racket may be bigger: FDA [Mumbai Mirror 20th May 2011]

Agency gears up for crackdown on vendors of expired food products after a mobile van owner was caught in Borivali for tampering with labels

Virat A Singh

Posted On Friday, May 20, 2011 at 04:18:15 AM

While officers of MHB Police Station are interrogating vendor Salim Khan, who was arrested on Monday for selling food products beyond their expiry dates and without a licence from a mobile shopping van at IC Colony, Borivali, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who suspect the racket to be bigger, is gearing up for a crackdown against such vendors.

A senior police officer said, “Khan told us he buys the food products in bulk from shops at Crawford Market and sells them for almost double the cost, gaining a very good commission.”

The officer said that they are questioning Khan further about tampering with the expiry dates and batch numbers of the products, which he has denied.

However, members of New Link Road Residents Forum (NLRRF) of Dahisar, who helped FDA and the police bust this racket, claim that they learnt that Khan owned a godown at Saki Naka where he and his associates printed labels of fake batch numbers and expiry dates and stuck them on the stale products.

Salim Khan (centre) said he bought the food in bulk from Crawford Market “We learnt that Khan procures most of the products from airline kitchens through tenders. The products are transported to a godown at Khairani Road, Saki Naka, where those items whose dates have expired are re-labelled. These products are then sold at discounted rates. We have told all this to FDA and the police and hope they will investigate it,” said Arun Kambli, NLRRF member.

Forum secretary Harish Pandey added, “We did what we could by first alerting FDA about the outdated products being sold and then helping them carry out the raid on Sunday. Now, in public interest, it’s up to FDA and the police to bust what appears to be a bigger racket.

Meanwhile, senior FDA officials said that they too are conducting an in-depth investigation into the matter as the sale of outdated food products can have serious repercussions on the health of people.

FDA Assistant Commissioner S S Deshmukh said, “The forum members have given us a visiting card obtained from Salim. It describes his mobile shopping business as a “roaming supermarket”, and also has a weekly itinerary showing the timing and 10 locations his van visits to sell products. It appears to be a bigger racket and we are investigating into it ”

Investigating Officer T M Gosavi said that they have police custody of Khan till May 21 and will share details of the probe with FDA officials. “The van and its products has been confiscated and we are awaiting court orders regarding the same,” said Gosavi.

BMC Superintendent of Licences Dinkar Kharat said, “Such mobile supermarkets are illegal. BMC has not given permission for them to operate and even the health department would never give permission to sell food products on the road. We will take action against such vehicles.”