FSSAI officials monitoring quality of prasadams regularly during Dasara Navarathri Utsavams atop Indrakeeladri in A.P.

FSSAI monitors prasadams quality in major temples during Dasara Utsavams to ensure food safety standards are met.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is monitoring the quality of prasadams being supplied to the devotees atop Indrakeeladru during the ongoing Dasara Navarathri Utsavams.

With allegations over the adulteration of Laddu prasadam in Tirumala temple of Lord Venkateswara run by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the State government has issued orders to monitor the quality of prasadams in all temples in the State.

FSSAI was focussing on the quality of the raw material and the prasadams being prepared during the Navarathri Utsavams in all major temples across the State, said FSSAI Joint Food Controller of A.P. N. Purnachandra Rao.

“Three Food Safety Officers (FSOs) have been deployed at Sri Durga Malleswari Swamyvaarla Devasthanam in Vijayawada, to check the quality of prasadams every day during Dasara Festivities. The FSOs will monitor the standard of the raw material being used for preparing prasadams, and the cooked prasadam varieties,” Mr. Purnachandra Rao told The Hindu on Friday.

NTR District Collector Gummalla Srijana has said that instructions have been given to Durga temple authorities to monitor the quality of all prasadams regularly.

“On the first day, samples of Laddu, Pongali and Anna prasadam were collected. Instructions have been given to the FSOs to follow the procedure everyday during the utsavams,” the State Joint Food Controller said.

Following the directions of Commissioner of Food Safety C. Hari Kiran, FSOs and food inspectors were monitoring the quality of prasadams in all major temples across the State during the Dasara Utsavams.