Drive for healthy pongala

Food safety officials to ensure quality food at stalls.

Devotees purchase earthen pots for Attukal Pongala festival from a steet vendor in Thiruvananthapuram. Attukal Pongala is on March 2.

Thiruvananthapuram; The Food Safety Officials will launch a drive next week to check for adulteration in raw materials such as jaggery, ghee and condiments for pongala. Once the food stalls near festival venue become active on Thursday there will be drives to check the quality of food there also. "During the past two years, we couldn't find adulteration in jaggery. However, spoiled cauliflower and vegetables which were not washed are regularly found in Gobi Manchurian served by vendors around the venue. Cauliflower available in the city is generally high on e-coli as they grow on human waste. They are susceptible to food poisoning until treated properly. Juice corners also will come under scanner," said Food Safety officials.

"Apart from this testing will be done for the suspected use of colours. Crackdowns will be organised at hotels at Manacaud, Killipalam, Attukal and Attakulangara," he said. Three squads of food safety officers will be deployed in the core pongala zone and control rooms will be opened. As in previous years resident's associations and private parties to secure the department's authorisation to serve food on the day of pongala. Around 25 health inspector will be pressed into action on the final days of pongala