The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified inspections of packaged flour, edible oil, spices and Diwali snacks after receiving information that expired flour was being sold during the festive season, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said at an event in Pune.
Mundhe said the department had directed officials across Maharashtra to examine flour used to prepare poli and bhakri, with inspections being expanded across retailers, wholesalers, dealers and semi-dealers. The action is focused on checking expiry dates, adulteration and other violations before the peak of Diwali food sales.
The commissioner said the FDA had begun its festive-season enforcement drive 21 days earlier and had issued a standard operating procedure for inspections. He said the objective was not to harass traders, but added that strict action would continue against businesses found adulterating food or violating applicable rules.
According to the report, the FDA has so far seized around 28,000 quintals of edible oil and nearly 20,000 quintals of spices in cases linked to suspected violations. The figures were cited by Mundhe while describing the department’s recent enforcement activity in the state. The report does not provide a breakdown of the seizures by district or details of the legal action taken in each case.
Mundhe issued the warning while inaugurating a laddoo and chiwda sales centre organised by the Poona Merchants Chamber in Pune on Sunday. He said inspections had found instances of adulteration in packaged flour and that the department had received information about expired flour being offered for sale in some locations.
The FDA chief also said inspections of snacks sold during Diwali would be carried out in the coming days. The checks are expected to cover food businesses involved in manufacturing, storage, distribution and retail, although the report does not specify the number of establishments targeted or the inspection schedule for Pune.
His remarks came after complaints from some trader organisations and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut that FDA officials were allegedly troubling businesses without sufficient cause. Mundhe said traders who were being harassed or asked for money by FDA officials should submit evidence and file complaints with the department. At the same time, he cautioned that a shop inspection by itself was not proof of wrongdoing and should not be used as the sole basis for a complaint.
The commissioner said food businesses must ensure that products sold to consumers do not pose a health risk. He also acknowledged that the department does not have enough staff in relation to Maharashtra’s population and appealed to residents to report suspected adulteration.
Mundhe, a 2005-batch IAS officer, became Maharashtra FDA commissioner at the end of May 2026. The department’s festive-season inspections will continue with further checks at retail, wholesale and distribution levels, followed by action against establishments found violating food-safety requirements.
