Tukaram Mundhe has emerged as a prominent figure in Mumbai’s fight against unsafe food. The 51-year-old food safety commissioner has led more than 3,000 raids since taking charge in Maharashtra in May.
His teams have inspected restaurants, hotels, cricket clubs, street food businesses and grocery warehouses. The department has also suspended food permits at four Domino’s outlets and one Pizza Hut outlet in recent weeks.
Mundhe’s campaign has gained public support across India. Many people say his actions reflect long-standing concerns about hygiene at local eateries and roadside food stalls.
Government data shows that Indian food inspectors have checked more than 100,000 food samples each year since 2020. About 20% of the samples were found to be unsafe, substandard or missing proper labels.
Nearly 8,000 food business licences have also been cancelled over the past three years. The figures show the wider challenge facing India’s food safety system.
Mundhe has adopted a direct approach to enforcement. He said businesses that do not comply with food safety rules should face action from the regulator.
His teams have released images from some raids. The images showed stained walls, cockroaches, rats and expired food at some premises. Mundhe said he was surprised by the number of violations found during inspections.
The campaign has also affected street food sellers. In June, Mundhe prohibited the use of newspapers to pack vada pav. Some vendors have changed their practices after the inspections.
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One vendor replaced artificial red dye with natural chilli. Another began changing frying oil three times a day and required workers to wear gloves and head caps.
Some customers say the changes have made them more confident about eating street food. Supriya Wagle, 14, said cleaner butter paper used for vada pav packaging was a relief.
Mundhe’s actions have also drawn criticism from businesses. Some operators say they need more time to meet the rules and have approached the High Court.
In one case, a court fined the food safety department Rs 500,000 after an eatery’s permit remained suspended despite improvements in compliance.
Mundhe said his department takes court observations seriously. He also said the department would make improvements when there was scope to do so.
The crackdown has extended beyond large food chains. Mundhe’s teams have acted against a British-era cricket club, a 70-year-old ice cream parlour and a 110-year-old Parsi Dairy.
His actions have made him a public figure beyond Mumbai. At an event in New Delhi, people asked for selfies and tried to shake his hand.
Mundhe rejected the idea that he is a celebrity. He said he was simply doing his job as a food safety commissioner.
The food safety drive is likely to keep attention on hygiene, licensing and compliance. For consumers, the focus remains simple: safer food and cleaner places to eat.
