Sabarimala food crackdown: 60 food outlets fail safety checks; Officials warn pilgrims amid peak season

Sabarimala food crackdown: As the mandala-makaravilakku pilgrimage season gets underway at Sabarimala, food safety officials have intensified checks around the hill-top shrine to ensure pilgrims receive safe and hygienic food. In just one week, the Food Safety Department inspected 350 establishments in and around the pilgrimage route, and found deficiencies in 60 of them.

According to an official statement, rectification notices have been issued to all 60 outlets where lapses in food safety or hygiene were detected. The department has deployed multiple food safety squads at key locations, including Sannidhanam, Pampa, Nilakkal and intermediate points such as Erumeli. These teams are working round the clock to maintain strict food safety standards throughout the season.

To strengthen inspections, temporary laboratories have been set up at Sannidhanam and Pampa. These labs are testing the safety and quality of appam and aravana, the sacred prasadam offered to pilgrims, along with the raw materials used in their preparation. Additional checks are being carried out through the “Food Safety on Wheels” vehicle operating at Nilakkal and Erumeli, which collects and tests food samples directly on-site.


Samples are also being analysed at the District Food Safety Lab in Pathanamthitta, with more detailed examinations conducted at a laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram.

Beyond inspections, the department has organised eight awareness programmes and two licence registration fairs for food business operators. Pamphlets on food safety and hygiene have been distributed to pilgrims and vendors in six languages as part of a wider awareness drive.

State Health Minister Veena George has urged everyone, pilgrims and food entrepreneurs alike, to follow the department’s guidelines to ensure a safe pilgrimage.

Those wishing to report food safety concerns can call the department’s toll-free helpline: 1800 425 1125.

Inputs from PTI