Tukaram Mundhe Launches AI-Powered Complaint Portal for Food Adulteration and Fake Medicines in Maharashtra
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has launched an AI-powered complaint platform that allows consumers to report adulterated food and fake or substandard medicines by speaking in Marathi, Hindi or English. The initiative comes amid an intensified statewide crackdown on food safety violations, fake medicines and banned products.
Consumers in Maharashtra can now report cases of adulterated food and fake or substandard medicines through a new AI-powered complaint platform launched by the state's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The initiative enables users to submit complaints by simply speaking in Marathi, Hindi or English, with the system automatically generating a structured complaint that can be submitted online.
Announcing the initiative in a post on X, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the platform has been designed to simplify the complaint process and make it more accessible. The same portal can be used to report both food safety and drug safety violations, while complainants can also track the status of their cases online after submission.
AI Automatically Drafts Complaints
The complaint portal is available at: https://complaints.mahafda.in. The launch comes amid an aggressive enforcement drive led by Mundhe since he assumed charge as Maharashtra FDA Commissioner.
As reported by NDTV, the department carried out 904 raids across the state in his first month in office, seizing banned gutkha and pan masala worth over Rs 34.66 crore. The FDA has also indicated it may invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against organised gutkha syndicates.
The crackdown has extended beyond tobacco products. Hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries have been directed to provide free drinking water to customers, while hospitals have been warned against forcing patients to purchase medicines from affiliated pharmacies.
The department has also stepped up inspections against food adulteration involving milk, mawa, edible oils and other food products. Online food delivery platforms and major food brands have also come under increased scrutiny for compliance with food safety regulations.
According to the FDA, the statewide enforcement drive has resulted in the sealing of several establishments, the arrest of 457 people and the seizure of 42 vehicles linked to food safety violations and the illegal trade of banned products.
A separate statewide crackdown on milk adulteration is also underway after the FDA detected synthetic milk manufacturing units and multiple food safety violations across the dairy supply chain.
The intensified enforcement campaign began on May 25, when Tukaram Mundhe took charge as FDA Commissioner. Soon after assuming office, he directed officials to strengthen food safety compliance across the entire dairy ecosystem, including dairies, transporters, distributors, wholesalers and retailers, as part of broader efforts to improve food and drug safety enforcement across Maharashtra.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2026 11:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
