Amid Tirupati Laddoo controversy, 43 food samples collected from Mathura & Vrindavan, ‘Peda’ sent for testing

While the controversy of Tirupati Laddoo has not yet died down, people are shocked by the sudden food safety drive in Mathura and Vrindavan by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) authority. Apparently, as per a PTI report, the authorities have collected about 43 food samples from 15 shops near major religious sites in Mathura, Vrindavan, and its surrounding areas. Not just that, but the popular sweet dish from Mathura ‘Peda’, which is used as an offering for Lord Krishna, has been sent to Lucknow from among the samples collected.


FSDA Assistant Commissioner Dhirendra Pratap Singh claimed that the operation conducted recently aims to set quality standards for food commodities that are sold close to temples. As per the PTI report, “Samples included a plethora of sweets and dairy products like Peda, Barfi, Milk Cake, Rasgulla, Imarti, Sonpapdi, along with numerous spices.” These shops have been known for catering to pilgrims and tourists.


“Of the 43 samples taken, 42 have cleared all the tests. One sample of Peda has been sent to Lucknow to be further tested for absolute safety,” Singh said.





All this massive checking is the result of a larger concern over food adulteration in religious offerings, following allegations of animal fat adulteration in laddoo prasad distributed in Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh. This has made Mainpuri MP and Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav raise her worries over the quality of khoya sold in Mathura, putting more emphasis on the dairy-based sweets of the region.


Authorities have claimed they are following strict precautionary measures for safety and quality in their food products, especially in the places pilgrims and tourists keep visiting. Though most samples have been cleared, officials still await the results from the pending sample of peda sent to Lucknow for testing.


The FSDA is still continuing its work in making sure that food safety is maintained in Mathura, a very popular site for religious tourism, and to this effect, the official in charge of the vendors has cautioned against the sale of adulterated products.

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(Images courtesy: Canva)