Tukaram Mundhe News: Immediate impact of the event? Ganpati mandals seek Maharashtra FDA clarity on ‘mahaprasad’ SOP. Today’s news
As Maharashtra gears up to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, mandals in Mumbai have now asked the Maharashtra Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to clarify the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for serving ‘mahaprasad’ during the upcoming festival.
The move comes at a time when Tukaram Mundhe, the FDA commissioner in Maharashtra, is cracking down on restaurants and eateries selling adulterated and expired food.
Read also | Maharashtra FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe clarifies his new food safety directive
BSGSS is trying to clarify the SOP of ‘mahaprasad’.
On Monday, the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), which coordinates the Sarvajanik Ganapati mandals in Mumbai, asked the authorities to clarify the rules governing the distribution of prasad, PTI reported. Speaking at the Mumbai Press Club, BSGSS President Naresh Dahibavkar said the committee is ready to support measures aimed at ensuring food safety. However, he urged the authorities to take into account the financial constraints of smaller mandals and clearly communicate the norms that will apply to them.
The committee chief said they were approached by mandal representatives and raised concerns about the applicable norms and SOPs, after which a letter was sent to the officials.
Dahibavkar said, “If the mahaprasad has to be stopped completely, then tell us. But as far as I know, we have not received any response yet.”
A representative of the committee said: “I agree 100 percent that the measures taken by the department are correct. But our problem is that we cannot appoint a contractor because we do not have so much money. If a reputable contractor is mandatory, please tell us what we should do.”
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Maharashtra FDA implements SOP for food safety monitoring
Last week, the Mundhe-led FDA announced a year-long SOP to strengthen food safety monitoring across the state. Under the new guidelines, enforcement activities for festivals will begin 21 days before the event with a standardized schedule covering all major festivals.
According to the report, consumption of adulteration-prone food items such as sweets, dairy products, edible oils, meat and dry fruits increases during the festive season in Maharashtra. In the past, authorities issued separate orders for individual festivals at short notice, often forcing food safety officials to carry out last-minute checks while food businesses faced unexpected enforcement measures.
The decision to announce the year-long SOP came amid intense pressure over a recent statewide FDA crackdown that resulted in the seizure of unsafe foods and widespread license suspensions.
Read also | Tukaram Mundhe is in action again as FDA busts expiry date racket, seizes Maggi
In addition, FDA officials will identify areas and food products considered particularly susceptible to adulteration and will conduct inspections at manufacturing units, mills, wholesale markets, storage facilities and other facilities.
The regulatory body categorized celebrations across the state into three tiers based on scale:
- Major national festivals like Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Diwali, Eid, Christmas and New Year are included in Tier 1.
2. Regional events like Makar Sankranti, Holi, Gudi Padwa, Raksha Bandhan and Dussehra are covered in Level 2.
3. At level 3, the framework includes local markets, village celebrations and processions.
