FWICE urges FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe to take strict action against food safety malpractices on film sets

The IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe, who serves as the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, has restored the faith of people in the food safety system. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has now raised issues of food safety on the sets of films and series to the officer.

FWICE urges FDA to fix food safety on film sets

The body has urged him to take action against the malpractices related to food safety in the entertainment industry in order to ensure the safety of workers. In a letter, the body addressed its concerns to the office, who has currently become everyone’s favourite across the state.

They wrote, “For several years, FWICE has been receiving numerous complaints from its affiliated unions and members regarding the pathetic, unhygienic and substandard quality of food being served by several film, television and digital content producers during shootings. The meals supplied at shooting locations are often stale, poorly cooked, nutritionally inadequate and prepared in unhygienic conditions. Such food poses a serious risk to the health and safety of our members, who are required to work continuously for long hours under physically demanding conditions.”

The further mentioned that at several shooting locations, workers are compelled to have their lunch or dinner in open areas exposed to dust, heat, rain and unhygienic surroundings. In many instances, there are no designated dining areas, inadequate seating arrangements, lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitation facilities.

The body has also requested the officer to inspect the infrastructure and facilities provided to workers for having their meals, including the availability of clean and hygienic dining spaces, adequate seating arrangements, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, and to issue necessary directions to all production houses and catering agencies to ensure that proper standards of hygiene, food safety and dignity are maintained at every shooting location.

Who is Tukaram Mundhe?

Tukaram Mundhe is a 2005-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Maharashtra cadre who is widely celebrated for his fearless and uncompromising approach to governance. Over a career spanning two decades, he has built a fierce reputation as a strictly honest and no-nonsense administrator with zero tolerance for corruption. Mundhe is famous for his hands-on leadership style which often involves surprise early morning inspections and strict enforcement of the law regardless of political pressure. Because of his rigid stance against systemic flaws and irregularities, he has faced constant political pushback and has been transferred over 25 times throughout his career. Despite this, he remains a highly popular figure among the general public and has earned immense respect for his dedication to public service—even earning the title of ‘Water Man of Maharashtra’ for his landmark water conservation work in drought-hit regions earlier in his career.

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