Mundhe says food safety regulations are there, non-compliance is biggest issue

Tukaram Mundhe has defended the Maharashtra FDA's statewide crackdown on food businesses and adulteration. He said the campaign is about public health and legal compliance, not targeting any establishment.

In Short

• Tukaram Mundhe says existing laws require truthful claims, regulatory compliance
• Food cop campaign seeks lasting compliance beyond raids and suspensions
• FDA inspections target restaurants, dairies, clubs and other food businesses

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has defended the state’s aggressive food safety crackdown, saying the biggest problem is not the absence of regulations but their failure to be followed. Linking food practices to the country’s changing disease burden, Mundhe said rising cases of diabetes, hypertension and cardiac ailments underline the wider public health consequences of what people eat.

Speaking in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar on Saturday, Mundhe said, "The biggest issue in food safety is that we are not following the regulations that are there".

He added that "public health has a huge impact" and argued that the connection between food consumption and lifestyle-related diseases needs greater public attention.

"Today, we see that the percentage of diabetes has increased, hypertension has increased, and cardiac diseases have increased," Mundhe said, stressing that "This has a direct correlation with what we eat, and that is related to food safety standards".

The IAS officer further maintained that people often treat illnesses purely as health-related issues without considering the role of the food and beverages they consume.

He pointed to a major shift in India’s disease burden since Independence, noting that while communicable diseases once accounted for around 65-70 per cent of the burden, non-communicable diseases now make up a similar share.

Mundhe said the biggest food safety challenge in India is the severe impact it is having on public health, which people have yet to fully recognise. He stressed that greater awareness and understanding of the issue would benefit society.

He also underlined that existing laws provide a clear framework for action, saying, "Law is very clear. You cannot endorse anything that is not as per the law. We cannot endorse anything where you claim something that is not truthful".

MUNDHE-LED FOOD SAFETY CRACKDOWN

The remarks come amid a sweeping enforcement campaign by the Maharashtra FDA since Mundhe took charge in May this year.

The department has inspected thousands of restaurants, hotels, clubs, dairies, food manufacturing units and other food businesses, issuing improvement notices, suspending licences and seizing unsafe products.

Between June and August-end, the FDA inspected 1,803 hotels, restaurants and clubs, issued 948 improvement notices and suspended 199 licences.

In the milk and dairy sector, it conducted 9,485 inspections and suspended 404 licences.

The campaign has repeatedly exposed alleged lapses ranging from pest infestations and improper food storage to contaminated equipment and inadequate hygiene.

In September, the FDA suspended the licence of Mumbai’s Olympia Coffee House after inspectors reported cockroaches, flies, meat and blood residue in a refrigerator and a urinal in a food-storage area.

Five Mumbai establishments were also suspended within 24 hours over alleged adulterated ghee, lack of licences and hygiene violations.

Mundhe has maintained that the action is regulatory rather than personal, arguing that establishments are not automatically shut for every deficiency.

He has said improvement notices are issued where food safety is not compromised, while suspension is used when violations pose a health risk.

He has also described the objective as creating a culture of compliance rather than conducting a one-off campaign.

THE 'FOOD COP' TAG

The enforcement drive has made Mundhe a prominent public figure, with his tough approach earning him the popular “food cop” tag and public attention.

Mundhe recently received standing ovations and growing public interest around his campaign, while also noting scrutiny from businesses and courts over aspects of enforcement.

The crackdown has also had a wider ripple effect, with food safety raids reported in other states after Mundhe’s campaign gained visibility.

Reports have showed large-scale inspections in Bengal, including seizures of allegedly rotten and fungus-infested meat.

For Mundhe, however, the larger issue extends beyond raids and suspensions. His latest comments frame food safety as a public-health concern requiring action from regulators, businesses and consumers alike.

With inspections and festive-season enforcement continuing, the FDA’s focus is likely to remain on compliance, hygiene, adulteration and truthful food claims while putting greater emphasis on public awareness.

- Ends
With PTI inputs