The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a comprehensive 'Safe Food - Healthy Maharashtra' campaign targeting 4.5 lakh food outlets across the state. Following recent field inspections that revealed widespread hygiene violations, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced the initiative will inspect all hotels, restaurants, dhabas, cloud kitchens, caterers, and online food delivery operators. The campaign comes after investigators documented food being prepared in highly unhygienic environments, hazardous reuse of degraded cooking oil, and widespread failures to store perishable items at required temperatures. According to FDA officials, establishments compromising public health will face immediate closure, license cancellation, and severe criminal prosecution, with the FDA authorized to issue improvement notices, suspend or cancel operating licenses, order complete structural shutdowns, and seize or destroy compromised inventory. The crackdown follows a series of inspections that reportedly uncovered serious food safety violations, including food preparation in unhygienic conditions, repeated use of cooking oil beyond permissible limits, improper food storage, lack of temperature control, pest infestations and deployment of food handlers without mandatory health clearances.
The Maharashtra FDA has implemented a complete ban on the use of newspapers and recycled printed paper for serving, wrapping and storing food, reinforcing existing provisions under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018. Following intensified inspections across multiple outlets, the FDA issued new directives asking restaurants and vendors to stop serving food in newspapers entirely. According to FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, food outlets compromising public health by serving unsafe or unhygienic food will face stringent penalties, including imprisonment, hefty fines, licence cancellation and closure of establishments. The order comes under the 'Safe Food, Healthy Maharashtra' campaign and applies to all food service establishments including hotels, restaurants, dhabas, cloud kitchens, caterers and online food delivery platforms operating across the state. Under the new guidelines, all food business operators must possess a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence and display it prominently at their establishments.
In a major structural shift for consumers, the FDA order makes it legally mandatory for all dine-in establishments to provide safe drinking water completely free of charge. Eateries are strictly prohibited from forcing customers to purchase branded bottled water, with all hotels and restaurants now required to prominently display visible signage informing patrons of their right to free, safe drinking water in both Marathi and English. The new directive explicitly bans the practice of serving or packaging food items in newspapers or any other non-food-grade materials due to chemical ink transfer and chemical contamination hazards. Additionally, unauthorised sale or reuse of used cooking oil has been prohibited, with food safety experts and consumer groups welcoming these measures as a long-overdue step toward modernizing food handling practices in India. Restaurants and eateries must also display calorie counts, nutritional information and allergen details on menus as part of the new compliance framework.
The FDA has directed food establishments to ensure that employees undergo periodic medical examinations and receive Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) training. Businesses have been instructed to adopt scientific food handling practices, including FIFO (First In, First Out) inventory management and the use of colour-coded chopping boards to prevent cross-contamination. Food businesses are also required to implement the FSSAI's RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative and follow strict hygiene standards including FIFO inventory management and colour-coded chopping boards. Authorities have launched intensified inspections and enforcement drives, particularly targeting street food vendors, restaurants, cloud kitchens, and other food business operators to ensure compliance with the new regulations. All food service establishments must possess a valid licence or registration under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and display it prominently, with food businesses with an annual turnover exceeding ₹50 crore must undergo annual food safety management system audits through FSSAI-recognised agencies.
Violations of food safety regulations could invite penalties, prosecution and suspension or cancellation of licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The FDA has decided to hold meetings with hotel and food business operators to sensitise them about food safety norms and the consequences of violations. According to the release, the authority will ensure continuous implementation of food safety regulations throughout the year and not rely only on periodic special drives. If consumption of unsafe food leads to a person's death, offenders can face a minimum prison term of seven years, extendable to life imprisonment, along with a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh. Cases involving grievous injury or serious health consequences can attract imprisonment of up to six years and fines of up to ₹5 lakh. Commissioner Mundhe emphasised that the state's enforcement strategy will extend far beyond financial penalties to ensure absolute compliance, with the agency initiating product recalls and publicly disclosing the names of offending establishments to protect consumers. The State-wide campaign comes amid growing concerns over food safety violations and aims to improve hygiene standards, protect consumers and ensure that food served across Maharashtra meets prescribed safety benchmarks.
