A viral image circulating on social media carries the headline “One Man Changed Their Colours — That’s the Mundhe Effect.” It shows Maharashtra IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe alongside colourful jalebis, Gobi Manchurian and cotton candy, suggesting that food-safety enforcement has forced vendors to reduce the use of artificial colours.
The basic story has a factual foundation: Tukaram Mundhe is the Commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and his tenure has been marked by an unusually visible food-safety enforcement drive. However, some claims circulating with the viral image are exaggerated or unsupported.
I cross-checked the important points against the official Maharashtra FDA and FSSAI sources, as well as recent reporting from Reuters.
Who Is Tukaram Mundhe and What Is the “Mundhe Effect”?
Tukaram Mundhe, IAS, is the Commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Maharashtra FDA's official website lists him as Commissioner, and the department describes its mission as making food and drugs safer in Maharashtra.
Since taking charge in May 2026, Mundhe has led an aggressive food-safety enforcement campaign. Reuters reported that he had led more than 3,000 food-safety raids by August/September 2026, covering street vendors, eateries, upscale restaurants and major food chains.
The expression “Mundhe Effect” is not an official name of a government scheme or campaign. It is a popular media/social-media expression used to describe the visible impact of his enforcement drive.
Why Are Some Colourful Foods Looking Less Colourful?
The key issue is food colouring.
Under India's food-safety framework, food colours are regulated. FSSAI maintains standards for permitted food colours and food additives, and their use is subject to regulatory conditions and limits. FSSAI's materials list permitted colours such as Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow, Erythrosine, Indigo Carmine, Ponceau 4R, Carmoisine, Brilliant Blue FCF and Fast Green FCF, among others.
Therefore, an important distinction must be made:
Artificial colour” does not automatically mean “illegal” or “poisonous.
Some synthetic food colours are legally permitted when used in the appropriate food categories and within prescribed limits.
The problem arises when food businesses use unauthorised colours, inappropriate additives, excessive quantities, or substances that do not meet food-safety requirements.
Why Has Pink Cotton Candy Been Seen Turning White?
Cotton candy, traditionally made mainly from sugar, is naturally pale or white. Bright pink, blue and other colours are produced by adding colouring agents.
As food-safety inspections and enforcement have intensified, reports and viral images have shown some vendors selling less-coloured or white cotton candy.
However, it would be inaccurate to conclude that all pink cotton candy contains a prohibited chemical.
A specific food sample must be tested before identifying the particular colour used in it.
What About Rhodamine B?
This is one of the most important points to clarify.
Rhodamine B is not a permitted food colour in India. FSSAI's analytical material discusses unpermitted colours and methods for detecting colouring substances in food.
But this does not mean:
Every pink cotton candy contains Rhodamine B.
That claim cannot be established simply by looking at the colour.
A laboratory test is required to establish whether Rhodamine B or another unauthorised colouring substance is present in a particular sample.
Therefore, the accurate statement is:
Rhodamine B should not be used as a food colour, but the presence of Rhodamine B in any particular food must be established through testing.
Why Does Jalebi Sometimes Look Less Orange?
Jalebi can acquire its appearance from several factors, including ingredients, frying, sugar syrup and colouring.
When vendors reduce or stop unnecessary colouring, the resulting jalebi may look less intensely orange or more naturally coloured.
However, it would be misleading to say that the Maharashtra FDA has ordered that jalebi must become white.
There is no evidence that Mundhe introduced a rule requiring jalebis to be white.
The more accurate interpretation is that stricter enforcement can encourage food businesses to comply with existing standards, including rules governing permitted food additives and colours.
Why Is Some Gobi Manchurian Losing Its Bright Red Colour?
Gobi Manchurian is often prepared with sauces and seasonings that give it a red or orange appearance. Some vendors may also use additional food colouring.
With increased food-safety inspections, businesses have greater incentives to ensure that ingredients and additives comply with regulatory requirements.
That may explain why some versions of the dish now appear less intensely coloured.
But again, colour alone cannot establish whether a particular Gobi Manchurian is safe or unsafe.
A red Gobi Manchurian is not automatically unsafe, and a pale one is not automatically safe.
The ingredients, preparation conditions and, where necessary, laboratory analysis are what matter.
Did Tukaram Mundhe Introduce a New Food-Colour Law?
No.
This is an important fact-check.
Mundhe's role is primarily one of enforcement and administration of existing food-safety laws and regulations, rather than personally creating a new rule that bans colourful jalebis or cotton candy.
FSSAI continues to maintain the national regulatory framework governing food safety and food additives, including the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations and subsequent amendments.
Therefore, the viral statement that “Mundhe changed the colour of Indian food” is an oversimplification.
Is Every Artificial Food Colour Dangerous?
No.
This is another important misconception.
The term “artificial food colour” does not itself mean “toxic.”
FSSAI regulations recognise and regulate a number of synthetic food colours. Their use is subject to conditions and permitted food categories. FSSAI's official material explicitly identifies permitted food colours and discusses their regulatory limits.
The food-safety concern arises when:
🔹an unauthorised colour is used;
🔹an additive is used in a food category where it is not permitted;
🔹the permitted limit is exceeded;
🔹an industrial or non-food-grade substance is used;
🔹or other food-safety requirements are violated.
Thus, both of these statements are wrong:
All artificial colours are poisonous.
and
Every bright food colour is safe.
The correct position lies in between.
The Mundhe Campaign Is Not Only About Food Colours
Another important point often lost in the viral posts is that the Maharashtra FDA's enforcement campaign is much broader than food colouring.
The crackdown has involved inspections related to hygiene, food handling, storage, licensing and other regulatory requirements.
Reuters reported that Mundhe's inspections have targeted everything from street vendors to major restaurant chains and upscale establishments.
The broader objective is to ensure compliance with food-safety requirements—not simply to make food look less colourful.
More Than 3,000 Food-Safety Raids
According to Reuters, Mundhe had led more than 3,000 food-safety raids since taking charge in May 2026. The inspections have covered a wide range of food businesses.
Such large-scale enforcement can have a behavioural effect.
When food businesses know that inspections are more likely, they may pay greater attention to:
🔹kitchen hygiene;
🔹food storage;
🔹cleanliness;
🔹expired products;
🔹licensing requirements;
🔹food handling;
🔹permitted additives and colours.
This may be one reason consumers are noticing visible changes in the appearance of certain street foods.
Is the Campaign Completely Free of Controversy?
No.
Mundhe's strict enforcement style has attracted considerable public attention and support, but it has also faced criticism from some business owners and legal challenges.
Reuters has reported both the popularity of his crackdown and criticism concerning what some businesses consider heavy-handed enforcement.
That means the story should not be presented simply as either “Mundhe is completely right” or “the crackdown is wrong.”
The factual issue is more specific: how effectively and fairly existing food-safety regulations are being enforced.
What Is the Real Message Behind the “Mundhe Effect”?
The story is much bigger than colourful jalebis, red Gobi Manchurian or pink cotton candy.
The colour of a food item does not determine its safety.
A brightly coloured jalebi may be perfectly compliant if the colouring used is permitted and within the prescribed limits. Conversely, a pale-looking food is not automatically safe.
Food safety depends on factors such as:
ingredients + permitted additives + hygiene + storage + preparation + regulatory compliance + laboratory testing where required.
This is why consumers should be careful about viral claims such as:
Pink means poisonous.
or
White means safe.
Neither is scientifically or legally sufficient.
The viral “Mundhe Effect” story has a genuine factual foundation, but social media has simplified it.
Tukaram Mundhe is indeed Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, and his tenure has brought a highly visible and aggressive food-safety enforcement drive. Maharashtra FDA's official website confirms his position, while Reuters reports more than 3,000 food-safety raids since he took charge in May 2026.
The apparent shift from brightly coloured to less-coloured foods can reasonably be associated with greater compliance pressure in the food sector. However, there is no basis for claiming that every coloured food contains a harmful chemical, that every pink cotton candy contains Rhodamine B, or that Mundhe personally introduced a law making jalebis white.
The bigger significance of the campaign is that it has brought an important consumer question into the spotlight:
What exactly is being added to our food—and is it legally permitted ?
That is the real Mundhe Effect: not simply changing the colour of food, but increasing public attention to food safety, hygiene, adulteration and regulatory compliance.
Official and authoritative references
[Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA)](https://fda.maharashtra.gov.in/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) — official department website and Commissioner information.
[FSSAI – Food Safety and Standards Authority of India](https://www.fssai.gov.in/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) — national food-safety regulator and food-additive regulations.
Reuters reporting on the Maharashtra food-safety enforcement drive and Mundhe's inspections.
Note: I have deliberately removed or qualified claims from the earlier Hindi version that could not be established from official evidence—for example, treating every pink cotton candy as containing Rhodamine B. This version is therefore better suited for a factual English blog article.
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