Pune: As the revered Palkhi procession commences its spiritual journey, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pune has intensified surveillance of temporary food stalls established along the route and at designated rest points. This proactive measure comes in response to increased health risks associated with the monsoon season, including food poisoning, diarrhoea, and typhoid.
To safeguard public health, the FDA has formed two dedicated teams—each comprising six to seven food safety officers—to conduct on-the-spot hygiene inspections and quality checks. “Our goal is to prevent any monsoon-related foodborne illnesses by performing timely evaluations. Samples are being collected and sent for lab analysis wherever necessary,” stated Suresh Annapure, Joint Commissioner (Food), FDA Pune region.
The teams are also inspecting the quality of prasad (religious offerings) distributed during the Wari. Equipped with Total Polar Compound (TPC) meters, officers are checking for repeated use of cooking oil—a red flag for poor food safety practices.
These monitoring activities will continue until the Palkhi reaches Indapur and Nira, after which local FDA units will resume oversight duties.
Additionally, with the monsoon gaining intensity, the FDA has announced broader citywide checks targeting roadside food stalls and smaller eateries. Inspections will focus on maintaining hygiene, detecting adulterated items, and seizing substandard food products.
In a related advisory, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has urged residents to boil drinking water to prevent waterborne infections. Earlier this year, the FDA had penalized several vendors after analyzing 50 samples from juice, gola, mango, and ice cream stalls, many of which failed safety norms.
