📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Jyoti mundhe gkd
Health
Food safety lapses pose hidden public health threat, says expert Mundhe
✍️ Business Standard
🗓 26 Sep 2026, 11:36 PM
👁 16
Expert Mundhe highlighted that many consumers underestimate how lapses in food safety can endanger public health, urging stricter oversight.
The Business Standard interview with food‑safety specialist Mundhe underscored a growing disconnect between consumer perception and the real risks posed by lapses in food safety standards across India. Mundhe warned that complacency in handling, processing, and distribution can silently introduce hazards that later manifest as health crises.
According to the expert, common lapses include inadequate temperature control, use of sub‑standard ingredients, and insufficient testing for contaminants such as pathogens or chemical residues. These gaps, while often invisible to the end‑user, can lead to outbreaks of food‑borne illnesses, allergic reactions, and long‑term health complications.
Mundhe called for a two‑pronged approach: tighter enforcement by agencies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and heightened consumer awareness. He emphasized that regular inspections, transparent labelling, and swift recall mechanisms are essential to safeguard public health.
The specialist concluded that without coordinated action from regulators, manufacturers, and consumers, the hidden danger of food safety lapses will continue to threaten the nation’s health landscape.
According to the expert, common lapses include inadequate temperature control, use of sub‑standard ingredients, and insufficient testing for contaminants such as pathogens or chemical residues. These gaps, while often invisible to the end‑user, can lead to outbreaks of food‑borne illnesses, allergic reactions, and long‑term health complications.
Mundhe called for a two‑pronged approach: tighter enforcement by agencies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and heightened consumer awareness. He emphasized that regular inspections, transparent labelling, and swift recall mechanisms are essential to safeguard public health.
The specialist concluded that without coordinated action from regulators, manufacturers, and consumers, the hidden danger of food safety lapses will continue to threaten the nation’s health landscape.