Nagpur: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a detailed food safety advisory for Ganesh mandals, trusts, institutes and organisers across Nagpur city and district. The advisory aims to protect public health and ensure that devotees enjoy Ganesh festival without fear of food-borne illness.FDA has directed mandals to follow strict hygiene while preparing and serving Mahaprasad, Annachhatra and Bhandara. FDA has mandated that caterers hired by mandals must hold a valid licence. Mandals that cook the food themselves are not required to register with FDA, but they must follow food safety rules.Raw material should be bought only from licensed shops, with thorough checks regarding expiry dates, the advisory states. Leftover cooked food must be disposed of properly to avoid contamination.Maharashtra’s Food Safety commissioner has listed these steps as mandatory. The advisory includes aspects like the following: the cooking areas should stay clean and hygienic; utensils must be washed, covered and stored properly.Fruits offered as prasad should be purchased from licensed vendors; rotten fruits should never be used, the advisory underlined. “The water used for drinking as well as cooking purposes must be potable,” said an official, referring to the FDA advisory.The volunteers handling food must wear aprons, gloves and headgear and wash their hands often, the advisory added. “Anyone suffering from a skin infection or other communicable disease should stay away from cooking and serving. Extra care is needed for perishable items such as khowa and mawa,” said an official.The advisory underlined that milk and dairy products must be kept at 4 degrees Celsius or below. “Khowa and mawa should be carried and stored only in refrigerated vehicles. Old or stale khowa must not be used,” said an FDA official.The mandals are also required to maintain purchase bills of all raw materials. “If a food safety officer inspects the premises, a responsible person must cooperate fully and follow instructions,” said the official.
