The Tukaram Mundhe effect? Reputation at stake, food businesses getting ‘sharper’, move to monthly audits, report says | Today’s news
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Tukaram Mundhe’s crackdown on dirty kitchens in commercial outlets, misleading product labels and measures to counter consumer complaints has prompted businesses to bring in experts to help them avoid regulatory action.
Strict enforcement of the rules has drawn the attention of the companies as regulators in Maharashtra and elsewhere, including Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and West Bengal, have stepped up inspections of restaurants, food manufacturers and fast-food operations.
From occasional checks to routine
According to Bloomberg, businesses that used to require quarterly food safety inspections now require monthly audits. The surge is turning food safety compliance from an occasional inspection to a routine cost of doing business.
Equinox Labs, a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) accredited facility providing food testing, audits and safety training, has seen a 150 percent increase in customer demand across Maharashtra since June, CEO Ashwin Bhadri told media. All India business grew by about 50 percent during this period.
According to the report, some restaurants, food manufacturers and so-called dark store micro warehouses that were used to quickly shipping e-commerce orders requested monthly audits from Equinox instead of quarterly or semi-annual reviews. Others are increasing lab testing and employee training, with some testing individual production batches.
Regulators reportedly conducted 62,014 inspections of restaurants across India, finding flies, expired food and even fake and substitute ingredients, in the fiscal year to March 2026. This was more than 70 percent more than three years ago, according to FSSAI data.
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“In the past, founders didn’t want to spend money on the right thing,” said Equinox Labs’ Bhadri. “They used to do the bare minimum. Now it’s like they’re saying ‘we’ll do everything,'” including lifting standards beyond legal requirements, he added.
More work for lawyers
The crackdown on restaurants that violate food safety standards also creates more work for lawyers, Bloomberg reported.
At leading national law firm JSA Advocates & Solicitors, clients who once sought advice on food safety regulations once or twice a year are now checking in as often as every month, according to partner Saurya Bhattacharya.
The firm also processes new inquiries from businesses seeking to strengthen compliance or respond to enforcement actions.
The pressure is extending beyond kitchens and warehouses, the report says.
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FSSAI has strengthened oversight of food labels and advertising. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court asked the regulator for a timetable for introducing stricter labels on packaged foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
Apeksha Jain, founder of New Delhi-based The Gourmet Jar, which makes packaged sauces and spreads and supplies customers including popular chain Third Wave Coffee, told Bloomberg: “I think my team is a little bit more alert because of it, too, which is good.”
Customers are also asking more questions about compliance, while Jain employees are taking more care during audits to make sure “nothing falls through the cracks,” she said.
Damage to reputation
The threat of reputational damage creates business for specialists like Angad Chachra, founder of The Bar Consultants in New Delhi, which has audited about 30 restaurants across India over the past three months as clients prepare for regulatory inspections.
These days, “even the smallest incident can start a whole movement against somebody,” Chachra said. “Nobody wants to ruin their reputation online,” he added.
Previously five-star establishments, including the JW Marriott in New Delhi and the historic Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, were among those flagged for failing to meet hygiene standards this year.
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The tougher approach was particularly visible in Maharashtra, where Tukaram Mundhe took over the state Food and Drug Administration a few months ago.
His raids on businesses in Mumbai and other cities have made him a social media celebrity, underscoring consumers’ desire for tougher enforcement.
The inspection follows years of viral social media posts exposing unsanitary conditions at food businesses and growing public awareness of food safety, particularly among younger Indians, who are using online platforms to call out businesses and demand action from regulators.
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The impact was also felt at the international level. Japan banned imports of items such as mangoes from India this year due to alleged lapses in pest control.
In 2024, countries including Singapore banned the products of some Indian spice brands due to concerns about possible contamination with carcinogenic pesticides.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
