Tukaram Mundhe’s food order for festivals: What Maharashtra FDA Commissioner said about food safety rules

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration’s recent directive on food safety is aimed at monitoring and preventing food adulteration and not to impose any restrictions on festivities, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has said.

“We are not regulating festivals; we are ensuring that food served at festivals – just as in weddings, bhandaras, Eid, Christmas, New Year’s Eve events and other gatherings -- is safe and compliant with a law that has existed since 2011,” Mundhe told PTI.

FDA says order is about food safety, not festivals

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent directive is aimed at preventing food adulteration and ensuring food safety during festivals and large gatherings, and not at restricting celebrations, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said.


“We are not regulating festivals; we are ensuring that food served at festivals – just as in weddings, bhandaras, Eid, Christmas, New Year’s Eve events and other gatherings -- is safe and compliant with a law that has existed since 2011,” Mundhe told PTI.

Year-round festival enforcement calendar

The clarification comes after the FDA introduced a year-round “Festival Enforcement Calendar” following months of action against food adulteration. The calendar is designed to systematically monitor food safety during festivals and other large public gatherings.

“There appears to be some misunderstanding and apprehension regarding the standing order issued for food-safety arrangements during festivals and large public gatherings,” Mundhe said.

“The order does not regulate festivals. It regulates food safety,” he said.

No new food safety law or licensing regime

Mundhe said the legal framework governing food safety, including the registration and licensing of Food Business Operators (FBOs), has been in place since 2011.

The latest order does not introduce a new law, licensing regime or restrictions on festivals, he added.

Earlier, food-safety directions related to festivals were often issued separately as individual festivals approached. The latest order creates a standing framework covering festivals and large gatherings throughout the year, irrespective of religion or community.

SOP applies to all festivals and communities

The objective is to ensure that FDA officers, vendors, caterers, FBOs and organisers understand their respective roles and responsibilities, Mundhe said.

“This reduces ambiguity, prevents arbitrary interpretation and ensures consistent implementation of the law,” the senior IAS officer said.

The latest Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is religion-neutral and festival-neutral, Mundhe said, adding that it does not discriminate between festivals or communities.

Bhandaras, prasad and religious celebrations allowed

The order does not prohibit bhandaras, prasad or community food distribution, Ganapati celebrations or other religious festivals, nor does it interfere with religious rituals or traditions, he said.

It also does not prevent communities from organising festivals or regulate how people celebrate. No religious or cultural activity is being prohibited under the order, the FDA chief said.

‘Objective is not to restrict celebration’

“It is a uniform, year-round SOP for implementing the existing food-safety framework, applicable without discrimination to all communities, all festivals and all food-service activities.

“The objective is not to restrict celebration but to prevent illness. Let festivals be celebrated with faith, joy and tradition and let the food served during the festivities be safe,” Mundhe said.