New Delhi: Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe’s name has become synonymous with Mumbai food culture, much like the humble vada pav itself, in the three months since his posting to the department.
The FDA under Mundhe, a 2005-batch IAS officer, has cracked down on several iconic eateries in Mumbai, including the century-old Noor Mohammadi, Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality’s Waarsa and Flint, run by chef Rahul Akerkar, the over-century-old Parsi dairy farm, the over-70-year-old K Rustom & Co, and The Willingdon Sports Club.Street food that was served in brighter shades of red, orange and yellow is now being seen in more natural colours. Cotton candy is being sold in its natural white colour instead of the bright pink produced by artificial dyes. Non-dairy “analogue” paneer and the sale of loose edible oil have been banned. Even the canteens inside the Bombay High Court underwent inspection.
And in the last week, he has gotten even Bollywood involved.The FDA sent show cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff. Their signature ‘V’ hand gesture in modern Vimal Elaichi advertisements hasn’t brought them any victory so far, as the FDA alleges that their advertisements amount to surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, a product prohibited in the state.Even celebrities are flagging violations, looking up to him as a saviour. Actor Shweta Tiwari recently made a reel about receiving a cockroach with her Red Bull order from Swiggy Instamart.“Mundhe ji, where are you?” she asked in the video. It is a question many people in Maharashtra are asking—some hope that the bureaucrat will fix all their food hygiene woes, while others hope he won’t turn up at their restaurant and shut it down.And that is why Tukaram Mundhe is ThePrint’s Newsmaker of the Week.Roses and brickbats
