Hoteliers across Maharashtra are hiring former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials as private consultants to run mock audits of their kitchens.
The move comes as the hospitality sector scrambles to insulate itself from FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe’s aggressive crackdown on hygiene violations, Mumbai Mirror reported.
The consultants, many of whom previously handled work for hotels seeking regulatory approvals, are now being brought in specifically to inspect premises and flag gaps before an FDA raid can occur.
“Earlier, we used to do liaison work on behalf of hotels to obtain various approvals. Ever since the new FDA commissioner has taken charge and a crackdown has begun, we are being sought out by hotels and restaurants to inspect their premises and check for gaps that can be plugged in case there is an FDA raid,” Dhiraj Wankhede, a former FSSAI official, told the outlet.
Mundhe’s campaign has triggered widespread unease in the state’s hospitality industry, with hundreds of establishments, including well-known Mumbai restaurants, premium clubs and even the Bombay High Court canteens, having had licences suspended or premises sealed.
Restaurant owners, speaking to Mumbai Mirror on the condition of anonymity, said the absence of a grace period before suspension was pushing them towards preventive audits.
One hotelier said the FDA’s practice of suspending establishments outright, rather than issuing a notice and time frame to rectify violations, was causing losses for owners and staff alike, adding that former officials were being engaged to avoid being caught unprepared.
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Suraj Wasnik, a former FSSAI officer, said the crackdown had forced hoteliers to take their kitchens seriously for the first time, noting that establishments were increasingly approaching him to ensure compliance.
Wankhede added that hotel kitchen design was often constrained by space rather than regulation, and that kitchens had rarely been a priority for authorities in the past unless an adverse report already existed. “Now the kitchen has become a priority for the hotel industry,” he said.
Satish Shetty, managing committee member of AHAR (Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association), confirmed that hotels were proactively engaging food experts, including retired FDA and FSSAI officials, for audits.
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He said the FDA’s action had sharpened focus on rulebook compliance, noting that norms were “often… interpreted by overzealous officials,” which made prior audits valuable.
Another hotelier said smaller establishments were relying on their own resources, while larger ones were increasingly turning to consultants to navigate the crackdown.
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