Maharashtra FDA cracks down on eateries; public health non-negotiable, says Tukaram Mundhe

In one of the toughest crackdowns on food safety in recent years the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration FDA has issued a sweeping compliance order targeting hotels restaurants cloud kitchens dhabas and online food delivery operators across the stateThe directive issued on Tuesday by Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe follows extensive inspections that exposed widespread violations ranging from the use of degraded cooking oil and unhygienic kitchens to eateries operating without valid licences and forcing customers to buy bottled waterldquoFood establishments cannot treat public health norms as optional Every citizen has the right to safe food and safe drinking water The era of casual violations is overrdquo Mundhe said while announcing the new measuresFree drinking water mandatory no forced bottled water salesUnder the order restaurants can no longer compel customers to purchase bottled water All food establishments must provide free potable drinking water and prominently display notices in Marathi and English informing customers of this right Water quality must also be tested every six months through NABLaccredited laboratoriesldquoCharging customers indirectly for a basic necessity like drinking water is unacceptable Safe drinking water is not a privilege it is a rightrdquo Mundhe saidStrict norms for cooking oil under RUCO frameworkThe FDA has also tightened regulations on cooking oil under the Repurpose Used Cooking Oil RUCO framework Any oil with Total Polar Compounds TPC exceeding 25 per cent will be considered unsafe for human consumption Establishments using more than 50 litres of oil daily must maintain records and dispose of used oil only through FSSAIauthorised biodiesel aggregatorsldquoReusing degraded oil is a silent health hazard Businesses that compromise public health for profit will face strict legal actionrdquo Mundhe warnedHygiene training and infrastructure compliance made mandatoryThe order further mandates separate vegetarian and nonvegetarian preparation zones hygienic kitchen infrastructure annual medical fitness certificates for food handlers and mandatory FoSTaC food safety trainingTo improve transparency FSSAI licences must be displayed at entrances while large restaurant chains and central kitchens must disclose calorie counts allergen information and vegetariannonvegetarian symbols on menusHeavy penalties under food safety and criminal lawsThe FDA has warned that violations could attract severe penalties under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 Serving unsafe food resulting in death can lead to imprisonment ranging from seven years to life along with a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakhOperating without a licence misleading consumers through false claims and distributing substandard food can also attract penalties running into lakhs of rupeesldquoOur objective is not merely enforcement but prevention We want every food business operator in Maharashtra to understand that consumer safety comes first Compliance is not a choice it is a legal and moral responsibilityrdquo Mundhe said24x7 helpline activated for public complaintsThe FDA has also activated its 24x7 tollfree helpline 1800222365 urging citizens to report unhygienic conditions unsafe food practices and violations related to drinking water facilitiesMaharashtra signals zerotolerance approachWith the latest directive Maharashtra has signalled a zerotolerance approach towards food safety violations placing the responsibility squarely on food business operators to meet the highest standards of hygiene and consumer protection