The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has ordered intensified inspections of packaged flour, festive snacks, edible oil and spices across the state after receiving information that expired flour was being sold during the festival season, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said in Pune.
Mundhe announced the expanded checks on Sunday at the inauguration of the Poona Merchants Chamber’s laddoo and chivda sales centre. He said the department had already begun its festive-season enforcement drive 21 days earlier and would now increase inspections at the retailer, wholesaler, dealer and semi-dealer levels.
The checks will cover flour used to prepare poli and bhakri, as well as packaged products found in the retail supply chain. According to the commissioner, the FDA has found adulteration in packaged flour at some locations and received information about the sale of flour after its expiry date. He said the department had issued a standard operating procedure for inspections during the festive period.
Mundhe said the action was not intended to harass legitimate traders, but warned that those adulterating food or violating food-safety rules would face strict action. He said consumers have the right to receive pure and safe food, and urged businesses to ensure that products sold to the public do not pose a health risk.
The commissioner also said the FDA would inspect snacks sold during Diwali in the coming days. He said enforcement action had already resulted in the seizure of about 28,000 quintals of edible oil and nearly 20,000 quintals of spices. The figures and the seizures were cited by Mundhe during the Pune event.
The announcement comes after some trader organisations and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut alleged that FDA officials were unnecessarily troubling businesses. Mundhe said traders who believed an officer was harassing them without cause or demanding money should submit evidence and file a complaint. He also cautioned traders against filing complaints merely because an FDA officer had visited their shop for an inspection.
Mundhe acknowledged that the department does not have enough staff for Maharashtra’s population. He therefore appealed to citizens to report suspected food adulteration and provide information that could assist enforcement teams. The FDA chief, a 2005-batch IAS officer who took charge in late May 2026, said checks and action against adulterated food and unhygienic conditions in hotels and restaurants had been continuing across the state.
The next phase of enforcement will focus on packaged flour and festive snacks, with inspections expected to continue through the Diwali sales period. The department’s stated priorities are retailers, wholesalers, dealers and semi-dealers handling products intended for consumers.
