After Saoji mutton row, Maharashtra food safety chief recalls first experience with it: ‘Took one bite and left it’

The Maharashtra food safety chief also clarified that his comments, as the food safety commissioner, were not meant to criticise any particular cuisine. He said he was merely speaking for himself and not everyone.

Tukaram Mundhe also emphasised that oily and spicy foods are not good for health. “In general, we should not eat very oily or spicy food because it is not good for health. I was not speaking about a particular dish or community. If anybody has misunderstood my statement, they should listen to it again. I am speaking only about myself and no one else,” he said.

Addressing the controversy that erupted over his remarks on Saoji mutton, Tukaram Mundhe said his comments were meant as a general health advisory, not to discourage others from eating the Saoji mutton.

“In Amravati, somebody asked me, and my comment was: ‘If I ate that, I would fall sick for a month.’ I did not speak for others, and I said nothing to dissuade people from eating it,” he said.