Why do food adulteration and poor hygiene persist despite food safety laws? And what happens when a regulator decides to enforce those laws differently?
In this Podcast, Sucheta Dalal examines the Tukaram Mundhe effect—the sweeping changes introduced by Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe to crack down on food adulteration, unsafe food and regulatory failures.
Speaking at a Moneylife Foundation event on 24 October, Mr Mundhe explained the thinking behind his enforcement strategy. Instead of relying on routine sampling and delayed laboratory results, the Maharashtra FDA is prioritising inspections, swift action and accountability.
The results are striking: 22,000 inspections, over 10,000 improvement notices and more than 1,000 licence suspensions in just four months. The festive-season crackdown has also targeted adulterated sweets, milk products, edible oils, spices, dry fruits and other food items, alongside banned gutkha and scented tobacco.
Sucheta Dalal explores how changes in inspection procedures, laboratory testing, complaint handling and legal classification are reshaping food safety enforcement. She also examines the growing legal dispute between Maharashtra's FDA and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and what the outcome could mean for consumers.
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