Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Maharashtra food safety chief gets warning after Saoji mutton remarks
A man who checks that food is safe to eat said something about a famous dish.
The dish is called Saoji mutton, and it is very special to a city called Nagpur.
He said the dish was 'spicy and oily' and that eating it would make him sick.
Some people who make and love this dish felt hurt by his words.
He explained that he was only talking about what he personally can eat.
He remembered that a friend gave him the dish many years ago.
It was too spicy for him, so he only took one bite.
A government leader then told officials to stop saying bad things about the dish.
He said many families earn their living by making Saoji food.
The dish is also popular in many countries around the world.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe clarified that his 'spicy and oily' remarks on Saoji mutton referred to his own inability to eat spicy food.
Mundhe said a friend first brought him Saoji mutton in 2008-09, and he left it after a single bite because he found it spicy and oily.
Earlier, at an event in Amravati, Mundhe had said eating Saoji mutton would make him fall sick for a month and require a hospital visit.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule issued the government's first warning to Mundhe, calling the remarks 'completely inappropriate' and saying the Saoji business is the pride of Vidarbha.
Bawankule said Saoji is a traditional spice-making method in demand worldwide and a home-industry supporting thousands of families, though outlets found with adulteration can still face legal action.
- Who
- Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Maharashtra Revenue Minister and BJP leader.
- What
- Mundhe clarified his controversial remarks on Nagpur's iconic Saoji mutton, while the Maharashtra government issued its first warning to him over the remarks.
- When
- Mundhe clarified on Wednesday; the government warning came on Thursday, days after his remarks at an event in Amravati.
- Where
- Maharashtra, India; the remarks concerned Nagpur and Vidarbha's famous Saoji mutton.
- Why
- His remarks drew criticism from the Saoji community and were seen as a generalized, negative attack on a business that is the pride of Vidarbha.
Saoji community and Maharashtra government
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe
Framing of the Saoji mutton remarks
Saoji community and Maharashtra government
Bawankule and the community saw the remarks as a generalized and negative attack on the entire Saoji industry, the pride of Vidarbha, calling them 'completely inappropriate.'
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe
Mundhe said he was speaking only about his personal inability to consume spicy food, recalling that he left the dish after one bite in 2008-09.
Treatment of the Saoji food business
Saoji community and Maharashtra government
Targeting the entire Saoji business is wrong, Bawankule said; officials should avoid statements that could shut restaurants or harm an industry supporting thousands of families.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe
The FDA under Mundhe has been cracking down on the state food industry, and legal action remains possible against outlets found with adulteration or health hazards.
- Person
- Tukaram Mundhe
- Position
- Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra
- Subject
- Saoji mutton, iconic dish of Nagpur and Vidarbha
- Controversial remarks
- Called Saoji mutton 'spicy and oily'; said eating it would make him sick for a month
- Clarification
- He was speaking about his personal inability to consume spicy food
- First experience
- 2008-09 - took one bite and left it
- Government warning
- First warning from Maharashtra government; Bawankule called the remarks 'completely inappropriate'
- Saoji business
- Pride of Vidarbha; home-industry of thousands of families; in high demand worldwide
