Mumbai: Tukaram Mundhe’s food inspections have become a daily talking point in Mumbai, where the Maharashtra food safety commissioner is leading an unusually forceful drive against unhygienic kitchens, unlicensed eateries and unsafe food practices.
The 51-year-old bureaucrat has overseen more than 3,000 inspections since taking charge as the state’s food safety chief in May. His department has suspended the licences of four Domino’s outlets and one Pizza Hut restaurant in recent weeks. Cricket clubs, hotels, prominent restaurants, roadside vendors and food warehouses have also come under scrutiny.
Mundhe’s approach came under sharper focus after a Mumbai judge questioned whether his department was singling out private businesses and asked if court canteens had been inspected. Within hours, his teams visited the canteens and shut some that were found operating without licences.
“Those who try to not comply, they will face what is expected from the regulator,” Mundhe told Reuters, explaining his uncompromising style. “You are dealing with the lives of people.”
Images Fuel Public Support
The campaign has struck a chord with consumers who have long complained about poor hygiene at local eateries and street-food stalls. While international fast-food brands such as Domino’s and McDonald’s continue to expand in India, neighbourhood restaurants and roadside food businesses remain extremely popular despite persistent safety concerns.
Government figures show that inspectors have tested more than 100,000 food samples every year since 2020. About one in five samples was found to be unsafe, below standard or improperly labelled. Nearly 8,000 food-business licences have been cancelled during the past three years.
Mundhe’s teams issue detailed updates after raids, often publishing photographs of cockroach-infested kitchens, rats, dirty walls and expired food. The graphic images have spread rapidly online, turning routine enforcement into a national public spectacle.
“Everyone has tried to normalise this for years by saying it happens in India. It’s basically bottled-up anger,” said Ankur Bisen, a partner at consumer consulting firm The Knowledge Company.
“I have never seen anyone like Mundhe. It’s giving people hope.”
Vendors Alter Daily Practices
Reuters visits to 25 Mumbai food stalls and restaurants last week found that many vendors were now taking extra precautions. Some had replaced artificial red colouring with natural chilli, while others were changing cooking oil several times a day. Staff at some outlets had also begun wearing gloves and head coverings.
The city’s iconic vada pav has not been spared. In June, Mundhe banned vendors from using newspapers as wrapping material. Customers such as 14-year-old Supriya Wagle said the shift to butter paper was “surely a relief”.
Pushback From Food Businesses
A McDonald’s outlet was ordered to halt operations on Friday after food safety officials found “live pest activity (cockroaches)” and “rotting food” during an inspection. The action came amid a wider crackdown by Mundhe’s department on hygiene violations at Domino’s and Pizza Hut stores.
The commissioner has also taken action against a historic cricket club, a 70-year-old ice-cream parlour and a 110-year-old Parsi dairy. Businesses accuse his department of high-handedness and argue that they should be given more time to comply.
In one matter, the High Court fined the department 500,000 rupees for keeping an eatery closed despite improvements in compliance.
“If there are observations by the court, we take it seriously … if there is scope for improvement, we improve,” Mundhe said.
At a gathering in New Delhi on Friday, Mundhe was treated like a public figure as attendees surrounded him for photographs and handshakes. An admirer went further, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assign him a role at the national level.
“I don’t think I’m a celebrity. I’m just a food safety commissioner,” he said.