New Singham in town? Maharashtra FDA Chief defends crackdown on Mumbai eateries

Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe defended the state's crackdown on food establishments and licence suspensions. He said the drive targets threats to public health, even as businesses and the Bombay High Court raised concerns over enforcement.Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe (Screen grab)Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has defended the department’s ongoing crackdown on restaurants, clubs, hotels and other food establishments across the state, saying the exercise is aimed at ensuring safe and standard food and is not a personal campaign against any business.In an exclusive conversation with India Today TV, Mundhe responded to criticism over the suspension of licences of several well-known eateries. “I am actually a food safety commissioner of Maharashtra, and my expectation is that this becomes a public movement where everybody of us eats safe, standard and healthy food,” Mundhe said.Asked about being described as the “new Singham” of Mumbai over the crackdown, Mundhe said enforcement action was part of his responsibility as the state’s food safety regulator. “Absolutely, that’s my role,” he said, stressing that the objective was to ensure citizens are not exposed to unsafe food.The IAS officer’s remarks come amid a major enforcement drive by the Maharashtra FDA, which has suspended licences of nearly 100 food establishments following inspections across Mumbai and other parts of the state. MAJOR CHANGE IN FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONAddressing criticism that decades-old establishments were suddenly facing action, Mundhe said the regulatory framework itself had changed significantly over the years.He explained that before the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the focus was primarily on preventing adulteration. However, from 2011, when the new law was implemented, the approach shifted towards ensuring overall food safety standards. “Before 2011, there was a provision of the Food Adulteration Act. The whole focus was on preventing adulteration. In 2011, as per the 2006 Act, food standards and safety came in. So this is a 180-degree change,” he said.Mundhe said the transition from checking adulteration to enforcing broader safety norms would naturally create resistance among businesses and regulators.“When we change the system to a large degree, from preventing adulteration to safe and standard food, there is going to be some noise. We have to accept that,” he added.He said the FDA’s approach was based on three principles: empowering consumers, enabling businesses to comply with regulations, and enforcing the law where violations put public health at risk. “The goal is safe food, safe work, safe Maharashtra,” Mundhe said.ACTION NOT AGAINST BUSINESSESDefending the suspension of licences, Mundhe said the FDA does not shut down establishments for every deficiency. Businesses found with issues that do not compromise food safety are issued improvement notices, while stricter action is taken when violations can affect consumers’ health.“It is not about 100 per cent compliance. It is about the type of non-compliance. We issue improvement notices where food safety is not compromised,” he said.“But if food safety is compromised, which is going to affect the health of the person who is going to consume it, that is where the severity goes up and that is where we take action like suspension,” he added.Mundhe clarified that suspension of a licence does not mean permanent closure of a business. “It is just a suspension of that activity till the food business operator complies with those norms,” he said, adding that establishments are generally given around 14 days to rectify deficiencies before re-inspection.CRACKDOWN EXTENDS BEYOND RESTAURANTSRejecting allegations of selective action against private establishments, Mundhe said the FDA was carrying out inspections across categories of food businesses. “We have inspected Mantralaya canteen also. We are taking action in Mumbai; we are taking action everywhere. It is not about the club, it is not about the restaurant. It is across the board for food business operators,” he said.The crackdown, which began after Mundhe took charge as FDA Commissioner on May 25, has focused heavily on milk adulteration as well. The department has claimed to have uncovered synthetic milk production units and tightened checks across dairies, transporters, distributors, wholesalers and retailers.“Milk is not merely a food product; it is a nutritional foundation for millions of children, mothers, patients and senior citizens. Adulterating milk amounts to playing with public health. Such practices will not be tolerated in Maharashtra,” Mundhe had said earlier.Several prominent establishments have also faced action during the drive, including Mumbai’s iconic ice cream parlour K Rustom & Co., whose licence was suspended after an inspection reportedly found hygiene-related violations and non-compliance with prescribed standards.BOMBAY HC QUESTIONS FDA APPROACHThe crackdown also came under judicial scrutiny on Wednesday, with the Bombay High Court observing that the FDA should take a “realistic view” while enforcing food safety norms.The remarks came during the hearing of a petition filed by Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Navi Mumbai, which challenged the suspension of its food licence after an FDA inspection. The hotel argued that minor lapses should not automatically lead to suspension, while the FDA maintained that it could not compromise on public health concerns.Responding to criticism over enforcement standards, Mundhe said the norms were framed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and applied uniformly across the country.He rejected allegations that the FDA was using its powers to harass or blackmail establishments, saying the objective remained limited to ensuring safe food for citizens. “Goal is safe food, safe drugs, safe Maharashtra,” Mundhe reiterated.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Jul 29, 2026 23:56 IST