Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has defended the department’s action against a Pune-based sweets shop after the Bombay High Court directed the FDA to pay ₹5 lakh in compensation. Mundhe said the department was surprised by the court’s decision but would examine the written order before deciding its next legal steps. He maintained that the FDA’s intervention was taken in the interest of public health after several consumers reportedly fell ill following consumption of sweets from the establishment.
Mundhe said the department was awaiting the written copy of the court order and would consider all available legal options. He argued that the initial action was justified because the case involved suspected food poisoning and laboratory findings had reportedly described the food samples as unsafe. According to the commissioner, people who consumed the products were hospitalised, making regulatory intervention necessary. He said the FDA stood by its decision and would determine its further course after reviewing the court’s detailed findings.
The Bombay High Court had questioned the continued suspension of the shop’s food licence despite the establishment taking corrective measures. The licence was suspended on June 12 after an inspection identified several hygiene and sanitation deficiencies. Following a compliance report submitted by the shop, a re-inspection conducted on July 13 found that 35 of 36 parameters had been addressed, representing 98 per cent compliance. The court subsequently set aside the continued suspension, permitted the shop to resume operations and ordered the FDA to pay ₹5 lakh within 30 days.
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The dispute comes as the Maharashtra FDA has stepped up inspections of food businesses, particularly establishments selling products through online delivery platforms. During a special inspection drive on August 13, officials checked 86 establishments across the state. One establishment was ordered to stop operations immediately, while 60 improvement notices were issued. The department also suspended 14 food business licences with immediate effect. In separate action involving milk and dairy products, officials seized 698 kg of stock valued at approximately ₹34,302.
The statewide enforcement drive also resulted in action against banned food products, including pan masala and gutkha. The FDA said it registered 10 FIRs involving the sale, distribution and transportation of prohibited items, with nine people arrested and stock worth around ₹46.76 lakh seized. Officials also confiscated nearly 1,270 kg of other food products, including dairy goods, bakery items and edible oil, with an estimated value of ₹1.29 lakh. The enforcement measures form part of the department’s broader efforts to ensure compliance with food safety standards.
Mundhe said maintaining food and medicine safety should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of regulators and called for greater public participation. He urged citizens to report suspected violations and said food businesses and licence holders should follow prescribed standards without waiting for regulatory intervention. The commissioner said the long-term objective should be achieving complete self-compliance among businesses, reducing the need for enforcement action while ensuring that consumers have access to safe and standardised food and medicines.
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