The All-India Consumer Products’ Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has renewed its call for the Union Health Ministry to introduce a uniform and mandatory national protocol for the collection, withdrawal, handling and destruction of expired and damaged food products, warning that gaps in the existing system could allow unsafe goods to find their way back into the market.
The federation raised the issue following a recent joint operation by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Navi Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which reportedly uncovered an illegal operation involving the alteration of manufacturing and expiry dates on packaged food products intended for repackaging and export.
AICPDF described the incident as a serious public safety concern, particularly as the seized stock reportedly included products carrying the names of several well-known food and beverage brands.
According to the federation, the case highlights a larger weakness in the way expired and damaged products are removed from the distribution system.
“In the absence of a stringent and uniformly implemented SOP, there is a possibility that products that should have been permanently removed and destroyed can re-enter the supply chain through unscrupulous operators,” AICPDF said.
The distributors’ body has therefore sought a standardised nationwide SOP covering the entire disposal process, from the point at which expired or damaged goods are collected to their final destruction.
A key part of the proposed system is end-to-end digital traceability. AICPDF wants every stage of the process to be properly documented so that manufacturers, distributors, authorities and other stakeholders can track where rejected or expired stock goes and confirm that it has actually been destroyed.
The federation has also called for secure mechanisms to ensure that such products cannot be diverted for repackaging, relabelling or resale. It has sought stringent criminal and financial penalties for those involved in tampering with manufacturing or expiry dates, along with clear legal accountability at every stage of the supply chain.
“AICPDF appeals to the Government to treat the matter with the highest urgency and establish a transparent, technology-enabled, and enforceable system for the safe withdrawal and destruction of all damaged and expired food products across India,” said Dhairyashil H. Patil, National President of AICPDF.
The federation believes that a common national framework, backed by digital records and strict enforcement, would help close loopholes in the disposal chain and provide greater protection to consumers as well as legitimate manufacturers, distributors and retailers.