As a businesswoman and a social entrepreneur, I strongly believe that business is not only about making money. It is about responsibility, accountability and the impact we create on people’s lives.
That is why I genuinely salute the work being done by IAS officer Shri Tukaram Mundhe in the area of food safety.
Today, we need to understand something very simple:
Food is not just about taste.
Food is health.
Food is trust.
Food is life.
Every time we eat at a restaurant, order food online, buy something from a street vendor or purchase packaged food from a store, we place our trust in the person or business serving us.
That trust comes with responsibility.
Good food is more than delicious food.
For me, good food means:
Clean food.
Safe food.
Fresh food.
Properly stored food.
Honestly prepared food.
Food prepared with responsibility.
And this responsibility belongs to everyone — the government, food businesses and us as consumers.
We also need to become informed consumers.
We often complain about food quality, but how many of us actually know our basic rights?
We should learn to ask:
Is the food being prepared hygienically?
Are ingredients stored properly?
Is the food fresh?
Is the establishment maintaining basic cleanliness?
Are packaged products properly labelled and within their validity period?
Do we know where to complain when we genuinely feel our food safety has been compromised?
Knowing our rights doesn’t mean creating unnecessary conflict with businesses.
It means being aware, responsible and willing to speak up when something is genuinely wrong.
And as consumers, we also have responsibilities.
We should not encourage unhygienic practices simply because the food is cheap, trendy or delicious. We should choose businesses that maintain good standards and appreciate those who genuinely care about hygiene.
Health must come before convenience.
We live in a world where people are increasingly conscious about fitness, exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing.
But sometimes we forget one of the most basic questions:
What exactly are we putting into our bodies?
We can spend hours in the gym, follow a diet, buy expensive supplements and track our health — but if the food we consume is prepared or stored irresponsibly, we are compromising the very foundation of our wellbeing.
Prevention is always better than cure.
This is why food safety deserves far more public awareness.
I also understand the business perspective.
As an entrepreneur, I understand that restaurants, small food businesses, street vendors and employees depend on these businesses for their livelihood.
Therefore, enforcement should ideally be accompanied by education, awareness, guidance and an opportunity for genuine businesses to improve.
But where there is deliberate negligence, adulteration, unsafe practices or repeated disregard for people’s health, strict action is necessary.
Because ultimately, a business cannot build its success at the cost of someone’s health.
What I appreciate about Shri Tukaram Mundhe
What I admire is that his work has brought an important subject into the public conversation.
Food safety should not become news only when something goes wrong.
It should become a daily culture.
The real success of enforcement will not simply be the number of inspections, notices, penalties or closures.
The real success will be when:
A restaurant voluntarily keeps a spotless kitchen.
A street-food vendor understands the importance of hygiene.
A food business trains its staff properly.
A consumer learns to question unsafe practices.
And a business owner realises that quality and hygiene are not expenses — they are investments in trust.
Officer + Business + Citizen = Healthier Society
I don’t see this as an “officer versus business” situation.
I see it as:
Responsible Government
Responsible Businesses
Responsible Consumers
= A Healthier Maharashtra.
And that is where I believe the biggest change can happen.
My message to Shri Tukaram Mundhe
Sir, I salute you.
Not simply because you are taking action against violations, but because you are reminding all of us of something fundamental:
Every citizen deserves safe food.
Every customer deserves dignity.
Every consumer deserves awareness.
And every responsible business deserves recognition.
As a businesswoman and social entrepreneur, I believe profit and purpose can — and must — go together.
A successful business should not only ask:
“How much did we earn?”
It should also ask:
“How safely did we serve?”
“How responsibly did we operate?”
“And what impact did we leave on the people we served?”
And finally, what is “good food” to me?
Good food is food that makes you happy without making you question your health.
Good food is prepared with clean hands, clean surroundings, safe ingredients and a clean conscience.
Because ultimately:
Good food builds healthy people.
Healthy people build strong families.
Strong families build strong communities.
And strong communities build a stronger nation.
So let us not wait for a raid, a viral video or a headline to start caring about food safety.
Let us become informed consumers.
Let us demand better.
Let us support responsible businesses.
Let us educate our children about food and health.
And let us never compromise on basic hygiene.
Because safe food is not a luxury.
Safe food is a basic right.
And knowing your rights is the first step towards protecting your health.
— Archana Jain
Businesswoman | Social Entrepreneur
