Weak implementation of food safety regulations is contributing to India’s growing public health burden, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has said, arguing that consumers often fail to recognise the connection between the food they consume and long-term health outcomes.
Speaking to reporters after the “Tukaram Se Takkar” session at Karnavati University, Mundhe said food-related health concerns are frequently treated only as medical issues after people fall ill, while comparatively little attention is paid to dietary habits, food quality and food safety.
According to Mundhe, India already has an extensive framework of food safety laws, rules and regulations. The larger problem, he said, is compliance and enforcement.
He said that beyond basic licensing and registration requirements, many food safety provisions are not being followed properly, creating consequences for public health.
Mundhe also drew attention to the changing pattern of disease in India. He said communicable diseases accounted for approximately 65–70% of the country’s disease burden around the time of Independence. Today, he said, a comparable share of the burden comes from non-communicable diseases.
These include cancer, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Mundhe also pointed to reports of cardiac arrests among people in their late twenties and linked the increasing incidence of lifestyle-related illnesses with diet.
His remarks place food safety within a wider public health discussion that goes beyond contamination or immediate foodborne illness. They suggest that the quality and composition of food consumed regularly also need greater attention from regulators, food businesses and consumers.
Mundhe said low public awareness about food safety requirements remains another major concern. Consumers, he said, need to become more conscious of the quality and safety of food regardless of whether it is prepared at home or purchased outside.
He called for people to apply similar standards of care in their own kitchens and when selecting commercially prepared food.
Improving the situation, he said, requires responsibility to be shared across three groups.
Food business operators need to comply with prescribed safety and quality requirements. Regulators, including FSSAI and state food and drug administrations, need to ensure that rules are effectively implemented and monitored. Consumers, meanwhile, need greater awareness about food standards and the choices they make while purchasing and consuming food.
Mundhe’s comments underline the growing emphasis among regulators on treating food safety as a broader public health priority rather than restricting it to licensing and enforcement alone. His remarks also highlight the need for stronger compliance throughout the food chain as changing lifestyles and food habits contribute to a rising burden of non-communicable diseases.