{
  "id": 18506336,
  "title": "FPJ EXCLUSIVE: 'Every Citizen Is A Food Safety Officer', Says FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe | VIDEO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/fpj-exclusive-every-citizen-is-a-food-safety-officer-says-fda",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-06T13:05:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/fpj-exclusive-every-citizen-is-a-food-safety-officer-says-fda-commissioner-tukaram-mundhe-video"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai: In his first six months as Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe, a 2005-batch IAS officer, has implemented a series of routine inspections, suspensions, and public naming of violators. Speaking to 'The Free Press Journal', Mundhe emphasized his focus on safeguarding food, especially during the festive season, rather than just suspending licenses. Over the past few months, his department has conducted over 9,000 inspections, suspended more than 957 licenses, and cancelled more than 25. The Commissioner pointed out that the main issues found were added colors in sweets and the circulation of expired products. He advised consumers to buy from licensed vendors, check dates, and report issues through the FDA's portal or toll-free number. The complaints portal was launched in July 15, allowing citizens to register with their mobile number and submit complaints in English, Marathi, or Hindi. The system assigns complaints within 48 hours, and officers must resolve them within 14 days. The FDA has also issued compliance orders for milk, spices, and edible oils, and plans to launch an end-to-end portal for the entire department. Mundhe, a first-time FDA Commissioner, admitted to the changes he has made since taking over, including setting a mission for safe food, drugs, and Maharashtra, empowering officers, enabling citizens and businesses to reach out through technology, and enforcing sector-wise compliance orders.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: Less than six months into the job, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Tukaram Mundhe has made inspections, suspensions, and the public naming of violators routine. In an exclusive conversation with ‘The Free Press Journal’ the 2005-batch IAS official said his aim is to not suspend licenses but keep unsafe food away from the children, infants, and senior citizens.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}