Indian bureaucrat’s viral raids shake up Mumbai’s food sector

Tukaram Mundhe is an Indian bureaucrat on a mission.

As a state food safety commissioner, the 51-year-old has raided food businesses in the country’s commercial capital Mumbai in an unprecedented crackdown on poor hygiene and unsafe food that has captivated the public nationwide.

Mundhe has led the suspension of food permits of four Domino’s and one Pizza Hut outlet in recent weeks, and has also targeted cricket clubs, hotels and well-known restaurants in over 3,000 raids since he took over as Maharashtra’s ‌food safety chief in May.

When a Mumbai judge accused Mundhe of selective aggression towards private outlets and asked if court canteens were checked, his teams conducted inspections there within hours, shutting some of them which operated without licences.

“Those who try to not comply, they will face what is expected from the regulator,” Mundhe said in an interview with Reuters, talking about his no-nonsense approach.

“You are dealing with the lives of people.”