FDA to meet Ganesh mandals soon to discuss dos an don'ts for prasad

"There are several shopkeepers who sell mawa for cheap and this could prove hazardous. Mawa is made from milk, then how can it be sold this cheap? That is why people should avoid buying cheap mawa and mawa products. Also, prasad made from contaminated ingredients can lead to serious health problem," FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) S R Kekar said.u00a0During the meet, FDA officials will be elaborating mandal representatives on dos and don'ts while large-scale manufacturing and distribution of prasad.u00a0

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"We have numerous visitors every day and distribute prasad to all of them. To avoid distribution of inferior quality prasad and keeping devotees' health in mind, we ensure that the order is placed at well-known sweet shops in the city. Also, devotees who want to contribute to the prasad, ask us to buy it only from these selected shops," Head of Seva Mitra Mandal in Shukravar Peth Shirish Mohite said.

Kasba Ganpati Mandal, which has the privilege of having first Manache Ganpati (Ganpati of Owners), asks devotees to consume prasad on the very day it was given to them. "We ask people to consume prasad that very day and properly dispose the left over on that day itself," Anil Panse, a member of the mandal, said.

Members of Mandai Ganpati Mandal, which has been ordering prasad from Venkateshwara Hatcheries for years, said possibility of inferior quality prasad being distributed to devotees was out of question.

"Generally, we get prasad from devotees which is in the form of fruits. Other preparations are done by the volunteers and they ensure that whatever is made is contamination-free," Vijay Jadhav of Shramdan Maruti Mandal said.u00a0