Maharashtra Food Safety Crackdown: Why Restaurants and Dark Stores Are Under the Scanner
Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration has intensified inspections of restaurants, bakeries and quick-commerce dark stores. Under FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, several businesses have faced notices, licence suspensions and temporary closures over alleged hygiene and food-safety violations.
Mumbai: Maharashtra’s food industry is facing a major crackdown on hygiene and food-safety violations, with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe pushing for surprise inspections and immediate action against businesses found operating in unsanitary conditions.
Since taking charge in May, Mundhe has directed officials to step up inspections across restaurants, bakeries and quick-commerce dark stores. The campaign has attracted public support while also causing concern among food businesses.
Restaurants Under the Scanner
Several well-known food establishments have faced action during the inspections.
In recent months, outlets of Domino’s and Pizza Hut were temporarily shut after inspectors reportedly found cockroaches and expired products.
Some of Mumbai’s older and well-known food businesses, including K Rustom, Parsi Dairy, Shalimar and Rehmania, also had their licences temporarily suspended over hygiene-related violations.
Inspectors reported issues including fungal growth, rats and cockroaches, uncovered food and failure to properly test drinking water. Their licences were later restored after the establishments met the required hygiene standards.
Quick-Commerce Dark Stores Also Face Action
The crackdown has extended beyond traditional restaurants.
The Maharashtra FDA inspected 86 dark stores operated by quick-commerce companies during a month-long drive. Officials said violations ranging from minor to serious were found at almost all the locations inspected.
The FDA issued 60 improvement notices and suspended the licences of 14 stores, including outlets operated by Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart.
According to the FDA, inspections found problems including cockroaches, rodent droppings, lizard infestations, stale food and poor storage conditions.
Surprise Inspections Become the New Normal
One major change under Mundhe has been the increased use of surprise inspections.
Food industry representatives told Scroll that restaurants were previously often informed before inspections. Under the new approach, many inspections are being carried out without prior notice.
The FDA says immediate suspension is used when inspectors find serious and multiple violations that could pose a risk to public health. For less serious violations, businesses are generally given improvement notices and time to comply.
Food Businesses Push Back
While many consumers have welcomed the crackdown, sections of the food industry have questioned the way some suspensions have been carried out.
Business owners have approached courts seeking relief, arguing that authorities should sometimes issue improvement notices before suspending a licence.
In one Pune case, the Bombay High Court criticised the FDA's handling of a suspension and directed it to pay a ₹5 lakh fine after finding that the licence had not been reinstated despite a high level of compliance during re-inspection.
The FDA, however, maintains that the law allows immediate suspension where public health is at risk.
Why Tukaram Mundhe Has Become a Talking Point
Mundhe, a 2005-batch IAS officer, has built a reputation for taking strong administrative action.
His earlier postings included work in Solapur and Navi Mumbai, where he took action against issues such as illegal construction and unauthorised hawkers. His administrative style has also previously resulted in political and institutional pushback.
His latest campaign has made him widely discussed on social media, with supporters praising the focus on food hygiene.
Consumers Notice the Difference
The impact is also being felt by ordinary consumers.
Some roadside food sellers have reportedly started using food-grade butter paper instead of newspapers to wrap food. Restaurant and bakery operators have also begun paying greater attention to cleaning, pest control and food storage.
For many consumers, the campaign is less about the controversy surrounding the officer and more about a basic question: Is the food they are buying safe?
The Bigger Question
Maharashtra's crackdown has opened a wider debate over how food-safety regulations should be enforced.
Businesses argue that authorities must distinguish between minor violations and serious public-health risks. Officials counter that serious hygiene failures cannot be ignored when unsafe food can directly affect consumers.
For now, Mundhe's approach has sent a clear message to Maharashtra's food industry: food safety and hygiene are no longer being treated as minor compliance issues.