Mumbai: A determined food safety crackdown across Mumbai has drawn nationwide attention, with Maharashtra food safety commissioner Ramesh Mundhe leading thousands of inspections and taking action against businesses accused of hygiene and food safety violations.

The 51-year-old Indian Administrative Service officer has conducted more than 3,000 raids since taking charge as the state’s food safety chief in May, targeting restaurants, hotels, cricket clubs, street food businesses and major food chains.

Major food outlets face action

Mundhe’s department has suspended the food permits of four Domino’s outlets and one Pizza Hut outlet in recent weeks. A McDonald’s outlet was also ordered to stop operations after inspectors reported live cockroach activity and rotting food, according to the Reuters report.

The campaign has extended beyond major chains. Inspections have also covered long-established eateries, including a British-era cricket club, a 70-year-old ice cream parlour and a 110-year-old Parsi dairy.

The commissioner has gained considerable public attention as images from raids showing unhygienic kitchens, rodents, insects and expired food have circulated widely online.

Street food vendors change practices

The crackdown has also affected Mumbai’s street food sector. Vendors visited by Reuters said they had introduced stricter hygiene measures, including changing cooking oil more frequently, using gloves and head coverings, and replacing artificial colouring with natural ingredients.

The popular vada pav has also been affected. Mundhe prohibited vendors from using newspapers to wrap food, encouraging safer packaging materials instead.

Customers have welcomed some of the changes, with improved cleanliness offering greater confidence while buying street food.

Commissioner faces criticism too

Mundhe’s approach has not been without controversy. Some businesses have argued that they should receive more time to comply with regulations and have challenged departmental actions in court.

In one case, a court fined the department ₹5 lakh over the continued suspension of an eatery that had improved its compliance.

Despite the criticism, Mundhe has defended his approach, saying food safety regulators are dealing directly with people’s lives. His high-profile inspections have turned a routine regulatory role into a subject of widespread public discussion