Food safety guidelines for Madurai Chithirai festival released

Madurai: The Madurai district administration has issued instructions for providing clean, hygienic and safe annadhanam and prasadam during the Chithirai festival.District collector K J Praveen Kumar said polythene bags and plastic cups banned by the state govt should be avoided, and that banana leaves, areca nut plates or trays should be used for serving food. He also said food items should be prepared using quality ingredients without adding any aritificial colouring agents, and that the production and expiration dates of the ingredients must be verified.The collector said all waste generated at annadhanam sites must be properly collected and disposed of in municipal garbage bins. He added that temporary beverage stalls, eateries and free drinking water stalls set up for the summer must provide quality items. He asked people who provide free food, prasadam, beverages, buttermilk and drinking water during the festival to apply online with a fee of Rs 100 and obtain permission from the district food safety department. Failure to comply would result in appropriate action under Section 58 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. For further details, people can contact 0452-2640036 or WhatsApp using 94440-42322.