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Mumbai Food Safety Crackdown Snares Famed Restaurants Amidst Controversy
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Crime & Justice

Mumbai Food Safety Crackdown Snares Famed Restaurants Amidst Controversy

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Mumbai food safety inspectors have shut down two popular restaurants for severe hygiene violations, including rats, expired ingredients, and improper meat storage.
  • The crackdown, led by new food safety regulator Tukaram Mundhe, has inspected nearly 900 businesses and suspended over 100 licenses in July alone.
  • While praised by some residents for tackling corruption, the campaign faces resistance from industry groups concerned about heavy-handed tactics and lack of prior notice for license suspensions.

Mumbai's vibrant food scene is under intense scrutiny as food safety inspectors conduct the toughest crackdown in years on restaurants in the sprawling megacity. Recent raids uncovered alarming hygiene lapses, including the presence of rats and houseflies at a famed dessert parlor and meat stored in unsanitary conditions at a popular eatery known for its stews.

If they are abiding by the law... they have nothing to fear. And those who do not, they have no place to hide.

— Tukaram MundheMaharashtra state's food safety regulator on the crackdown.

These establishments were subsequently ordered to close, reflecting a stricter enforcement of food safety regulations. The campaign is largely driven by Tukaram Mundhe, the newly appointed head of Maharashtra state's food safety regulator. Mundhe, who commands a significant following on social media, has inspected nearly 900 businesses and suspended over 100 licenses in July alone. He stated that businesses abiding by the law have nothing to fear, but those who don't have "no place to hide."

How to receive the raw material, how to store it, how to process it... whether there should be (special) flooring. Many of the things they are unaware (of).

— Tukaram MundheDescribing the lack of basic food safety knowledge among some owners.

Mundhe expressed surprise at the widespread lack of knowledge regarding basic food safety practices among many owners, from raw material reception to storage and processing. Despite India having a robust food safety framework on paper, enforcement has historically been weak, with government data indicating that about one in six food samples failed to meet standards between 2022 and 2025.

Every department must have an officer like Mundhe. Corruption and adulteration can be contained only through the strict actions of such officers.

— Pramod ShindeA Mumbai resident supporting the food safety crackdown.

While residents often have lower expectations for street food, they hold established restaurants to higher standards. Mundhe's assertive approach has garnered support from citizens who believe it is necessary to combat corruption and adulteration, with one resident calling for more officers like him. However, the crackdown has also drawn criticism from hotel lobby groups. They have lodged appeals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing grave concern over license suspensions without prior notice or an opportunity for corrective action, deeming the approach too heavy-handed.

The sudden suspension or termination of licenses without prior notice or opportunity for corrective action is a matter of grave concern.

— Three industry associationsIn a statement criticizing the food safety regulator's methods.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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