Tukaram Mundhe: India’s Food Safety Enforcer And Social Media Hero
India-West News Desk
MUMBAI – Food wrapped in old newspapers, spices dried beside drains and unhygienic kitchens serving unsuspecting customers have become part of the public conversation in Maharashtra, following an enforcement drive led by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.
For consumers, the issue extends beyond regulatory violations. It concerns the safety of everyday meals, the quality of ingredients sold in markets and the food served in restaurants, schools and hostels.
Mundhe, the 51-year-old Indian Administrative Service officer known for his uncompromising approach to the job he is assigned, has brought these concerns into sharper focus through inspections, public warnings and action against businesses violating food safety rules.
Videos of his inspections and exchanges with food business operators have circulated widely on social media, turning a state government official into an unusually recognizable public figure. His Instagram accounts has millions of followers since May.
In his latest salvo, on October 15, Mundhe announced a comprehensive set of guidelines targeting the production, storage, transportation and sale of spices across Maharashtra. The measures prohibit adulteration with artificial colors, synthetic chemicals, sawdust and other foreign substances. Packaging and labelling have been made mandatory under the announced measures, alongside a ban on the sale of loose spices.
The guidelines also prohibit drying spices in public spaces, on asphalt roads or near drains, garbage dumps and cattle sheds. Violations could lead to the cancellation of business licenses.
The move follows a wider campaign against adulterated milk and paneer, substandard food at restaurants, unsafe cooking oil and unhygienic conditions in school canteens.
The scale of the enforcement drive became apparent between May and August, when the FDA inspected 12,083 establishments, issued 5,269 improvement notices and suspended 603 licenses, according to departmental figures.
Images of pest infestations, spoiled vegetables and poorly maintained kitchens helped bring the consequences of inadequate food safety practices into public view.
The FDA has also acted against the use of synthetic dyes, while extending scrutiny to school canteens, hostel kitchens and midday meal suppliers. Requirements for appropriate licenses and restrictions on selling foods high in fat, sugar or salt within 50 meters of schools have widened the campaign’s reach.
Mundhe’s approach has attracted criticism alongside public support. Some restaurant associations and business groups have questioned enforcement procedures, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged on September 29 that field officers were exploiting the campaign to extort money from businesses, including quick-commerce operators.
Mundhe rejected the allegations as generic and lacking specific details that could be investigated. He reiterated the department’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption and called for actionable evidence.
His current assignment and political attacks has also renewed attention to a career marked by frequent transfers. With more than two decades in public administration, Mundhe previously drew attention for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as Nagpur’s municipal commissioner and for water conservation initiatives in drought-prone parts of Maharashtra.
Journalist Shafi Pathan, who wrote a Marathi biography of Mundhe, told the BBC that thousands of people gathered outside the officer’s home to bid him farewell when he was transferred out of Nagpur during the pandemic.
By bringing food safety practices under scrutiny, Mundhe has made the regulation of food businesses a more visible public issue, irrespective of political winds and food lobbies. This the consumer recognizes and is cheering him on online.
