Mundhe, the newly appointed Commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration, said the agency’s approach will move beyond traditional action against food adulteration and expand into monitoring counterfeit medicines, drug recalls, quick-commerce dark stores and online-only cloud kitchens.
“If anything is not compliant, it must not come” into the market, Mundhe said in an interview, underlining his strict approach toward consumer safety and regulatory compliance.
The intensified enforcement drive comes amid increased scrutiny by India’s federal food regulator, which has recently issued notices to Swiggy Ltd.’s quick-commerce division over allegations involving expired or spoiled products and has taken action against energy drink manufacturers for misleading claims.
The stricter inspections also follow international concerns regarding India’s food safety and pharmaceutical standards. Tainted cough syrups manufactured in India were linked to the deaths of nearly two dozen children last year, while countries including Japan have raised concerns over product quality standards.
Mundhe said counterfeit and adulterated products damage not only consumers but also India’s global reputation, affecting trade opportunities and economic growth.
Since assuming office on May 25, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has conducted more than 1,100 raids on food businesses across the state, according to department data. Dairies have received the highest level of scrutiny, with authorities confiscating more than 150,000 liters of spurious milk and 35 tons of adulterated cottage cheese.
Mundhe said investigations revealed that fake milk was being manufactured using skimmed milk powder, vegetable oil and hazardous chemicals. In some cases, samples were also found containing shampoo.
“It’s absolute poison,” Mundhe said, adding that the authority would continue action against those “profiteering” through the sale of dangerous products. “We are tackling it in a big way,” he said.
The department’s crackdown on banned chewing tobacco has resulted in nearly 600 arrests, while 56 hotels and restaurants have had their licenses suspended, according to Food and Drug Administration data.
Mundhe said quick grocery delivery platforms and cloud kitchens, which operate entirely through online orders, have emerged as major regulatory challenges due to their rapid expansion across India. The Food and Drug Administration has discovered unregistered dark stores and found instances where expired food products were repackaged and sold instead of being destroyed.
The commissioner emphasized that the enforcement campaign would not unfairly affect legitimate businesses. “Genuine businesses have nothing to fear, and non-genuine will have no place to hide,” he said.
However, Mundhe’s efforts to strengthen the regulatory system face a major challenge due to a severe shortage of manpower. Maharashtra currently has 350 food inspectors and plans to recruit 50 more. The state is also seeking to add 150 drug officers to its existing team of 60 officers. Mundhe said the combined requirement is estimated at around 2,100 officers to ensure effective compliance.
Mundhe’s administrative career has also faced controversies. According to local media reports, he faced a no-confidence motion from elected members during his previous role as the head of the Navi Mumbai civic authority over allegations of arbitrary decisions. His frequent transfers have also raised concerns about continuity in implementing long-term policy reforms.
Despite these challenges, Mundhe is continuing his enforcement campaign across Maharashtra. The Food and Drug Administration is also working to accelerate online approvals for businesses and has launched a grievance redressal portal for citizens.
“We are increasing ease of doing business on the one hand and increasing ease of living for the citizens on the other hand,” Mundhe said.
The ongoing crackdown marks a significant shift in Maharashtra’s regulatory approach, with authorities seeking to create stricter controls over food safety, pharmaceutical quality and emerging digital commerce models while balancing consumer protection with business facilitation.
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