Full Breakdown
Maharashtra FDA Expands Crackdown to Nutraceuticals Amid Broad Food-Safety Drive
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: New Nutraceutical Order Planned
Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced that the department will soon issue an order covering dietary supplements and nutraceuticals. He called the department’s findings “disturbing,” noting many products are sold without prescriptions, contain undeclared ingredients, and cause “ill effects.”
Background & Context
Mundhe’s tenure has seen enforcement actions targeting food safety, including raids on analogue paneer, adulterated milk, unsafe edible oil and unhygienic eateries. A festive-season raid seized about 6.3 lakh kg of suspect food worth Rs 9.76 crore. The regulator has also banned junk food and soft drinks within 50 metres of school campuses and imposed a one-year ban on analogue paneer manufacture, storage, distribution and transport.
Data & Statistics
- Inspections (June 1 – Aug 31 2026): 12,083 food inspections, 37,604 samples collected, 5,269 improvement notices, 603 licences suspended.
- Arrests & Seizures: 875 arrests; food stock seized worth Rs 67.2 crore.
- Drug-side activity: 2,902 inspections; illegal medicines and cosmetics seized worth Rs 11.41 crore.
- Market size: India’s dietary-supplements market was Rs 20,146 crore in 2025, projected to reach Rs 57,262 crore by 2034 (?12 % annual growth, IMARC).
Official Statements & Responses
Mundhe said the regulator’s aim is to inform consumers, not to “paint anybody black or white,” and stressed the order is “religion-neutral, culture-neutral.” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut sent a letter on September 27 alleging FDA officers extorted hotels and quick-commerce firms with licence suspensions. Mundhe replied that no formal complaint has reached his desk and that any “black sheep” must be punished, urging the Anti-Corruption Bureau to provide evidence.
Criticism & Opposition
Restaurant owners claim the FDA’s publication of raid photos and videos amounts to defamation. The extortion allegation adds a political dimension, though the commissioner notes no specific complaint has been filed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If you are advertising paan or gutka, then you should consume it first. Let your children consume it and make it a habit. Then tell everyone else to do it. Why should it work the other way around?” — Tukaram Mundhe
- “It (complaint of bribe) has not come to my notice. Please bring it to my notice if it is happening. If there are any black sheep, they should be punished. There is no question about it. The way officers who make mistake should be punished, those who resort to malpractices should also be punished,” — Tukaram Mundhe
What’s Next
The nutraceutical order is expected to be drafted shortly, following earlier age-group-focused regulations on infant food and school-canteen standards. Mundhe has invited anyone who believes an FDA officer has demanded a bribe to contact him directly for investigation.
*This article synthesizes information from multiple reports on Maharashtra’s FDA activities, focusing on the regulator’s expanding mandate, enforcement data, and the commissioner’s public statements.*