Mid-Day Opinion: FDA’s actions are food for thought

Across the US and many European countries, businesses that knowingly adulterate food, commit food fraud, or endanger public health can face criminal prosecution, hefty fines, imprisonment and permanent closure. Representation Pic/iStock

Every meal begins with an act of trust. We assume that the milk poured into a child's glass, the paneer we cook at home, and the food served at a restaurant are safe to eat. Indian tradition captures this faith in the saying, "Anna Hi Purna Bramha", reminding us that food is not merely something we consume but something we trust with our lives. That is why the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raids across Maharashtra are so disturbing. They reveal not just unhygienic kitchens, but a betrayal of that trust.

The raids exposed unhygienic conditions across Maharashtra's food chain, from roadside vendors and small eateries to popular restaurants, clubs, grocery stores, dairies, government canteens, and branded food outlets. The findings are alarming not because violations were discovered, but because they were found across businesses of all sizes and reputations. This is not the failure of a few rogue operators. It points to a deeper problem.

The real question is not what the FDA found. It is why so many businesses believed they could get away with it for so long.

For years, many operators appear to have treated food safety violations as a profitable business decision. Using substandard ingredients, selling adulterated products, ignoring hygiene standards, or storing food carelessly reduces costs and increases profits. When inspections are infrequent and penalties are manageable, breaking the law becomes a business calculation rather than a legal risk. Food safety cannot be treated like an ordinary regulatory violation.

Selling contaminated milk, adulterated paneer, stale groceries, or food prepared in unhygienic conditions is not comparable to violating a working rule or displaying an incorrect signboard. Such negligence can spread disease, cause lifelong health problems, and even claim lives.

Unlike smoking or alcohol, which are matters of personal choice, food is unavoidable. Businesses that knowingly betray the trust of consumers are not merely breaking regulations; they are putting public health at risk.

Across the United States and many European countries, businesses that knowingly adulterate food, commit food fraud, or endanger public health can face criminal prosecution, hefty fines, imprisonment and permanent closure. The law recognises that food is not an ordinary commodity but something people consume every day without questioning its safety.

Maharashtra must ask itself a simple question: if we compare ourselves with the world's leading economies in infrastructure, investment, and ease of doing business, why should we not adopt equally stringent laws against those who knowingly put millions of consumers at risk? Whether it is adulterated milk, contaminated paneer, unsafe beverages, substandard dairy products or unhygienic kitchens, from roadside eateries to luxury hotels, clubs, and even government canteens, the punishment should be severe enough to make such violations unthinkable.

Laws do not prevent wrongdoing simply because they exist. They work only when punishment is swift, certain, and severe. The problem today is not the absence of laws but the absence of consequences. Once the headlines fade, many establishments return to business as usual because the risk remains manageable.

India has shown that strict enforcement can change behaviour. Tougher action against drunken driving has made roads safer. Parliament has also introduced stringent provisions against paper leaks because destroying students' futures is rightly treated as a serious crime. Knowingly exposing consumers to unsafe food warrants the same level of seriousness because it puts human lives at risk.

Habitual offenders should face permanent licence cancellation, time-bound prosecution, and strong criminal punishment. At the same time, inspections cannot remain occasional drives. They must be regular, technology-driven and transparent, with reports placed in the public domain so consumers can make informed choices.

The recent FDA action should not remain just another enforcement drive. It should become the beginning of lasting reform. Maharashtra is one of India's largest food markets. It should also become one of its safest.

The success of the FDA crackdown will not be measured by the number of raids or licences suspended. It will be measured by the day food businesses realise that endangering consumers is no longer worth the risk because the punishment is certain, swift and severe.

Only then will every family be able to sit down to a meal with confidence that the food on its plate will nourish rather than harm.

Sanjeev Shivadekar is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @SanjeevShivadek
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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.