Meet the Indian food safety officer shaking up Mumbai with viral raids

Tukaram Mundhe, a 51-year-old Indian bureaucrat, is shaking up Mumbai with his viral food safety raids. As the state food safety commissioner, Mundhe has led an unprecedented crackdown on poor hygiene and unsafe food, capturing the attention of the public nationwide. Over the past three years, he has conducted over 3,000 raids, suspending the food permits of four Domino's and one Pizza Hut outlet.

Mundhe's no-nonsense approach has earned him widespread admiration from the public, who are frustrated by the prevalence of unsafe food outlets. His unconventional operating style, which includes declaring he is not afraid of administrative action and getting transferred every year, has set him apart from other food safety commissioners.

Mundhe's actions have led to the cancellation of nearly 8,000 food business licenses in the last three years, with government data showing that over 100,000 food samples checked each year since 2020 have been found to be unsafe. The crackdown has extended to cricket clubs, hotels, and well-known restaurants, with Mundhe's team recently suspending the permit of a McDonald's outlet after finding live pest activity and rotting food.

While some businesses are criticizing Mundhe's high-handedness, his actions have brought about a noticeable change in the way people perceive and consume street food in Mumbai.