Kalewadi food poisoning caterer was unlicenced

FDA officials issue show-cause notices to caterer, organiser of event; will conduct awareness workshop for caterers in city

A victim of the Kalewadi food poisoning incident being taken to hospital The food poisoning case at the Kalewadi temple that left two dead and more than 150 ill has now got a new twist – the caterer who prepared the ‘prasad’ did not have a Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) licence. FDA officials have sent a show-cause notice to both the caterer and organiser and are organising a workshop for caterers in the city on Sunday afternoon, aimed at making them aware of FDA guidelines, as well as punishments in case of noncompliance. S S Desai, FDA assistant commissioner (Food), said, “The caterer had been in this business for around 10 years, and yet not applied for a licence. We have sent a showcause notice to Ramesh Prabhu Bhalerao of Mauli Caterers, and will be filing a case against him for not having a licence.” Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune division, said, “We have also sent a show-cause notice to the organiser, as it is compulsory to keep a record of all food items purchased, including the name of the grocery shop and their contact number, which they did not have. The prasad should have been prepared in clean surroundings, covered adequately and consumed without too much delay, which was not paid heed to.” Caterer Bhalerao said, “As caterers, our job was to prepare food. Raw materials were either bought by the temple trust or donated by devotees. I have been in this business for over 10 years now, but most of my orders used to be from Khedgaon. This was the first time I took an order in the city, as it was for a religious cause. I am illiterate and don’t know about legalities. I had tasted the food myself before serving it, and hope God helps me.” FDA mandates that caterers with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above need to obtain a license, while those garnering less need to get registrations. As many as 310 caterers have sought licences in the district, while registration has been granted to over 124 food business operators and caterers so far. “We have contacted the president of the Caterer’s Association and invited all caterers for a workshop. There will be a presentation on precautions and hygiene by Dr Abhay Desai, director of the Food Hygiene and Health Laboratory,” added Desai. ►   Our job is to prepare food. Raw materials were from the temple or devotees. I am illiterate and don't know about legalities - Ramesh Prabhu Bhalerao, Mauli Caterers