Tukaram Mundhe On Food Safety Crackdown: 'We Follow The Law'

Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe defends the department's decision to suspend food licences immediately in cases where there is a potential public health hazard. Responding to questions about whether such action is proportionate, Mundhe says the FDA follows both the law and due process. Citing Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Mundhe explains that designated officers can suspend a licence forthwith when food poses a likelihood of a health hazard. He also shares data from the past two months, saying more than 3,100 inspections were conducted, around 165 licences were suspended immediately, while more than 750 establishments were issued improvement notices. "If it doesn't sound proportionate, I don't know what the definition of proportionate would be," Mundhe says, defending the scale and nature of the crackdown.