Since taking over as Maharashtra’s food safety commissioner in May, Tukaram Mundhe has become an unlikely celebrity. He and his team have conducted over 3,000 food inspections across the Indian state since he began his position. On one August day, they inspected more than 100 outlets. They issued 95 “improvement notices.”
His team found rats, cockroaches, filthy floors, contaminated food, and expired ingredients. Sometimes, the inspectors release photos or statements of their findings to the public. Several famous establishments faced shutdowns or permit suspensions. Foreign chains like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s have felt Mundhe’s wrath. So have local staples, including a Mumbai British-era cricket club, a 70-year-old ice cream parlor, and the 110-year-old Parsi Dairy.
Many Indian roadside food and local restaurants have a reputation for poor food quality. But Mundhe wants change. He strictly enforces rules for better hygiene and packaging in restaurants. Edible oils, medications, and dairy products also receive intense assessment.
Mundhe’s message to businesses is simple: Follow the rules. He says that there is nothing to fear for those who submit their business to healthful practices. But those who ignore him have “no place to hide.”
The inspector isn’t a bully. He’s driven by responsibility to protect India’s people. His goal is not punishment. It’s keeping unsafe food off people’s plates.
His diligence hasn’t always made him popular. Mundhe has been transferred over 20 times throughout his career in government. Businesses have criticized his process, and the Bombay High Court challenged some of his decisions. He says that he takes those criticisms seriously.
“If there is scope for improvement, we improve,” Mundhe says.
Still, he’s not backing down. His endurance and commitment to safety may explain his unexpected rise to international fame.
Mundhe insists he’s not a celebrity. He is simply a food safety commissioner. To him, that means doing the unglamourous work of protecting people he may never meet—and who may not like what he stands for.
As Christians, we call this humility in faithfulness: doing what God has entrusted to us without seeking recognition. Jesus instructs us to do good, not for our own gain, but out of love for Christ and His people.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. — Matthew 6:1
Why? We can honor God and the people around us in any occupation when we try our best, act in humility, and seek others’ well-being.
