Maharashtra FDA chief warns that food safety lapses threaten public health

Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told reporters that the biggest challenge for India’s food safety is the lack of compliance with existing regulations, which is causing a public-health hazard. At a press event following the ‘Tukaram Se Takkar’ session at Karnavati University, he noted that while many statutes exist, they are rarely enforced. Citing the shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases since independence, Mundhe warned that cancers, diabetes and early-age cardiac arrests are increasingly tied to what people eat.

He called for greater awareness and sensitivity toward food standards, urging consumers to demand safe food at restaurants and in households. The commissioner emphasized that food business operators, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, state FDAs and the public must collaborate to improve safety culture.