Srinagar: Complaints have emerged from parts of Srinagar regarding Hershey’s chocolates reportedly being sold with two different dates, raising concerns about product safety and packaging irregularities.
The issue came to light after a buyer from the Nishat area claimed that a Hershey’s chocolate he purchased carried an expiry date of 2025 on the outer cover, but when he opened the pack, the inside wrapper bore an expiry date of 2024, indicating that the product had already expired.
The buyer told the news agency KNT that he contacted the distributor immediately after noticing the discrepancy. According to him, the distributor acknowledged that similar complaints had been received earlier and said he had already reported the matter to the company, though no response had been received so far. The chocolates in question are part of shipments supplied across various markets in Srinagar.
Sources said that traders in several areas have raised concerns about the possibility of mislabelled or wrongly repackaged chocolates entering the supply chain. They said the matter requires urgent verification to ensure consumer safety, particularly because the products are widely consumed by children.
Hershey’s is an international confectionery brand originating from the United States. In India, Hershey India Private Limited operates from its head office in Mumbai and runs a manufacturing facility in Bhopal. The nature of the discrepancy found in the Srinagar batch is yet to be clarified by the company. [KNT]