HC issues order to conduct food safety audit at Sabarimala

KOCHI: The High Court has issued an order to conduct a food safety audit at Sabarimala A division bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice PG Ajithkumar said that this was to ensure compliance with food safety norms after the presence of pesticides in cardamom added to Aravana was found to be above the limit.

In a petition filed by S Prakash, owner of Ayyappa Spices Company, seeking to ensure the quality of cardamom used in making Aravana, it was found that cardamom contained an unsafe level of pesticides. Following this, the court had ordered the preparation and distribution of Aravana by avoiding this cardamom. The security audit was directed on a petition voluntarily taken up by the High Court following this. The court also directed to add Devaswom Commissioner, Food Safety Commissioner, Central Food Safety Authority, etc as parties to the petition.

While considering the petition, the division bench stated that it was convinced that the existing lab at Pampa does not have adequate facilities to conduct tests as per food safety norms and regulations.

The order to purchase cardamom was given after checking the quality of materials, including cardamom, for Aravana in the lab at Pampa. However, the presence of the pesticide was found to be above the limit when cardamom was later tested at the Government Analytical Lab, Thiruvananthapuram. The court also observed that there was a huge contrast between the test reports of the Pampa and Thiruvananthapuram labs. The petitions will be considered on January 24.