Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has led an aggressive campaign that includes more than 3,000 inspections across Mumbai eateries since he assumed the post in May. The effort has produced suspensions of food permits at four Domino’s outlets and one Pizza Hut restaurant in recent weeks, along with actions targeting hotels, restaurants and cricket clubs. Mundhe intensified the drive after a Mumbai judge questioned whether the department focused solely on private businesses and inquired about court canteens, prompting teams to inspect those facilities within hours and shut down several that lacked licenses.
The commissioner’s office has distributed photographs from the inspections that document cockroaches, rats, stained walls and expired products, images that have circulated widely on social media. Government data show food inspectors have tested more than 100,000 samples annually since 2020, with about 20 percent found unsafe, substandard or improperly labeled. Nearly 8,000 food business licenses have been canceled over the past three years, according to the same official figures.
Mundhe, who is 51 years old, addressed compliance standards directly in an interview. «Those who try to not comply, they will face what is expected from the regulator,» Mundhe said in an interview. «You are dealing with the lives of people.» The commissioner added that his department responds to court observations and makes procedural improvements where possible after one High Court case resulted in a 500,000-rupee fine for continuing a suspension despite documented upgrades at an establishment.
In June the authority prohibited the longstanding practice of wrapping Mumbai’s popular vada pav in newspapers, a step that led some street vendors to adopt cleaner food-grade packaging instead. Observers have noted parallel changes among vendors, including more frequent oil replacement, substitution of natural colorings for artificial additives, and greater use of gloves and head coverings. The food safety department has framed these shifts as responses to sustained enforcement pressure.
Mundhe has drawn public attention for the campaign, including at a New Delhi event where attendees lined up for selfies and handshakes. Some supporters suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi assign him a broader national role. The commissioner, who has experienced repeated transfers during a 21-year civil service career, rejected any celebrity framing.
«I don’t think I’m a celebrity. I’m just a food safety commissioner,» Mundhe said. The department continues to monitor a range of food businesses while addressing longstanding public concerns over hygiene in the city’s eateries. FSSAI national sampling drives have similarly identified non-compliance rates near 20 percent in recent years, aligning with the Maharashtra findings.
Добавить комментарий