E-Paper
Food regulator FSSAI asks states to make prasad safer
Blissful Hygienic Offering to God, or BHOG, is an FSSAI initiative to ensure that the food served in places of worship is hygienic and safe. Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu and the Somnath in Gujarat are among those who sent people for training to meet FSSAI’s quality and hygiene standards.
The country’s food safety regulator has asked the states to roll out a project to ensure that devotees were served safe prasad at places of worship.
Every day an estimated 300 million people visit places of worship across the country and receive food which can be a small portion or a complete meal like the langar served in gurdwaras.
Distributing food in a temple, mosque, church or a gurdwara requires a licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). These places of worship must also follow food-safety guidelines.
“…You are requested to roll out the project BHOG in your state/UT and also nominate a nodal officer for this initiative,” FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said in an order issued on January 29.
Blissful Hygienic Offering to God, or BHOG, is a part of FSSAI’s safe and nutritious food bouquet of initiatives launched a year ago and workshops were conducted for prasad handlers and vendors.
In his order, accessed by Hindustan Times, Agarwal again offered workshops and training.
The popular Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu and the Somnath in Gujarat are among those who sent people for training to meet FSSAI’s quality and hygiene standards.
“This directive is to ensure proper regulatory compliance as it is important to improve the level of food safety and hygiene in their (places of worship) premises,” Agarwal said.
