Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has said that he does not want to “paint anybody black or white” but only wants consumers to be aware of their surroundings, amid criticisms by restaurateurs over the administration’s practice of releasing photos and videos of raids.
I am touching food, which is my jurisdiction. Earlier this week, the regulatory body suspended the licences of 31 establishments for violating food safety and hygiene norms as part of a festive season crackdown.
Amid a backlash, he said: “I am not touching your festivals. He called the order “religion-neutral, culture-neutral”. Mundhe has already ordered a ban on junk food and soft drinks near school campuses, and the FDA said it may invoke provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against organised gutkha syndicates.
“Next, nutraceuticals will cover the younger generation. This way the complete picture is available to people, to food business operators and licensees, and it is clear to my officers how to proceed, so the impact is larger and better,” he added.
“We have to focus on younger ages, because food habits form at the beginning,” the FDA commissioner said.
