FSSAI Backs Maharashtra FDA Chief Tukaram Mundhe's Food Safety Crackdown
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chief Executive Officer Rajit Punhani has backed Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe's strict enforcement of food safety regulations across the state, praising his ability to deliver results using existing staff.
Speaking in an interview with India Today TV, Punhani noted that Mundhe's enforcement drive proved that strong regulatory oversight does not depend on immediate staff increases. Under Mundhe, the Maharashtra FDA has stepped up inspections targeting restaurants, food businesses, and warehouses suspected of regulatory violations, leading to thousands of inspections and hundreds of licence suspensions in recent months.
Punhani challenged the perception that leading a food safety department is a "punishment posting," a view that had historically made officers reluctant to lead the department. He explained that food safety had long been treated as an administrative afterthought compared to the established public healthcare system, with the post often assigned as an additional responsibility rather than a dedicated role.
Punhani said having a dedicated food safety commissioner in every state should now be considered a necessity. He noted that Mundhe achieved the enforcement drive with the same team without recruiting additional food safety officers, adding that the campaign has raised public awareness about the role of food safety departments.
The endorsement from the national food safety regulator comes after the Bombay High Court recently criticised the Maharashtra FDA's approach under Mundhe. The court described the regulator's actions as "killing a mosquito with a sword" and questioned what it termed a disproportionate response to violations.
The judges also pointed to a pattern of "undue haste," stating that the regulator had acted pedantically rather than pragmatically by shutting commercial establishments and revoking licences without adhering to due process.
