Indian food safety officer Tukaram Mundhe shakes up Mumbai, one viral raid at a time

Tukaram Mundhe is an Indian bureaucrat on a mission.

As a state food safety commissioner, the 51-year-old has raided food businesses in the country's commercial capital Mumbai in an unprecedented crackdown on poor hygiene and unsafe food that has captivated the public nationwide.

Mundhe has led the suspension of food permits ​of four Domino's and one Pizza Hut outlet in recent weeks, and has also targeted cricket clubs, hotels and well-known restaurants in over 3,000 raids since he took over as Maharashtra's food safety chief in May.


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When a Mumbai judge accused Mundhe of selective aggression towards private outlets and asked if court canteens were checked, his teams conducted inspections there within hours, shutting some of them ‌which operated without licenses.

"Those ⁠who try ⁠to not comply, they will face what is expected from the regulator," Mundhe said in an interview with Reuters, talking about his no-nonsense approach.

"You are dealing with the lives of people."

Mundhe has won widespread public ​admiration across India because he has tapped into deep public frustration. Even though foreign chains such as Domino's and McDonald's are fast expanding, it is local eateries, roadside kiosks and ​small restaurants - long dogged by concerns over hygiene - that remain hugely popular.

Each year since 2020, Indian food inspectors have checked more than 100,000 food samples and found roughly 20% to be unsafe, substandard or lacking proper labels, government data shows. Nearly 8,000 food business licenses have been cancelled in the last three years.

Also Read: Flies, cockroaches, fake cheese: Maharashtra FDA suspends licences of 7 Mumbai food establishments over hygiene lapses

"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."

FINDING RATS AND EXPIRED FOOD

Mundhe, ​who is bespectacled and ​sports a chevron moustache, has an unconventional operating style.

He has featured in TV interviews declaring nobody dare bribe him, and that he ⁠is not afraid of administrative action despite being transferred numerous times in his 21-year career as ​an officer of the highly regarded Indian Administrative Service. "I get transferred every year," he said in a 2018 ​interview.

Now, his food safety team's actions go viral daily - raids lead to detailed public statements and graphic images that show interiors of eateries and grocery warehouses with stained walls, crawling cockroaches and rats, and even expired food - photos that have shocked many Indians.

"It was surprising. I did not expect these many violations," Mundhe said.

In Mumbai, Reuters visits last week to 25 street vendors and restaurants showed heightened fear about Mundhe's raids. One vendor has swapped artificial red dye for natural chilli in Chinese offerings, while another has started changing his frying oil three times a day and requires staff to wear gloves and head caps.

Mumbai's omnipresent street food 'vada pav' - a ‌spicy potato patty in a bun - has not escaped Mundhe's attention. In June, he prohibited use of newspapers as packaging material - often used to wrap the delicacy.

Also Read: Maharashtra FDA suspends licences of Radio Club, Khar Gymkhana, 11 others for violation of hygiene norm

Customers are noticing the change and consuming street food more confidently. Supriya Wagle, 14, is happy her favourite ​vada pav is now being ​packed in cleaner butter paper, saying that ⁠is "surely a relief".

CRITICISM AMID CELEBRITY STATUS

After finding lapses at some Domino's and Pizza Hut stores, Mundhe's team on Friday suspended the permit of a McDonald's outlet after finding "live pest activity (cockroaches)" and "rotting food". The three companies did not respond to Reuters queries.

Mundhe's crackdown has included action against a Mumbai British-era cricket club, a 70-year-old ​ice cream parlour and a 110-year-old Parsi Dairy.

He is facing criticism from businesses that say they should be given time to adapt, with some approaching the High Court and accusing his department of high-handedness.

In one case, the judges fined his department 500,000 rupees ($5,225) for continued suspension of an eatery even though it improved its compliance.

Also Read: Love samosa, pakoras and vada pav? FSSAI issues fresh warning on newspaper-wrapped street snacks

"If there are observations by the court, we take it seriously ... if there is scope for improvement, we improve," Mundhe said.

At an event in New Delhi on Friday, fans clicked quick selfies with Mundhe and jostled to shake his hand. One fan told him Prime Minister Narendra Modi should give him a national role.

"I don't think I'm a celebrity. I'm just a food safety commissioner," he told Reuters.