Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe is not a fan of eating out at restaurants. However, the intensive food safety raids conducted by the Maharashtra department have led to a certain level of alertness among restaurants at the mere mention of his last name.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV Profit, Tukaram Mundhe shared a recent incident involving a restaurant reservation made not by him, but by his son.
"This happened just two days back. It was my son's birthday. He wanted to go to a restaurant with his friends, and he booked online," Mundhe shared.
The restaurant staff started wondering whether Tukaram Mundhe himself was coming. He said the concern reached one of his friends, who called him to ask whether he had made a reservation.
"I have not booked," he clarified to his friend, adding, "It's my son, I believe. He might have booked it for friends."
Reflecting on the impact of the recent food safety inspections on restaurants, he noted, "So this alertness is definitely there. The moment they saw the last name 'Mundhe', it happened."
He added that while he usually does not go out to restaurants to eat, whenever he does, his mind tends to focus on food safety checks.
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During the interview, the Maharashtra food safety chief noted that it gives them no joy to suspend the licences of establishments, but they have to do so when restaurants are non-compliant and serving their food can harm public health. He added that he would be happiest if all food business operators complied with food safety laws and the FDA had no need to conduct raids.