As millions of devotees gather for the Maha Kumbh 2025, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has rolled out stringent measures to ensure food safety, deploying mobile testing labs and a team of dedicated officers.
In order to ensure that millions of tourists from across the country and overseas can enjoy healthy food and nutrition during the celebrations of Maha Kumbh 2025, India has tightened its regulations on food safety under the FSSAI. The ministry was notified in a release that it is making intense efforts to strictly monitor food quality through spreading awareness messages during the occasion.
FSSAI has deployed 56 Food Safety Officers (FSOs) in five zones and 25 sectors of this event under its joint collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration. Two FSOs are deployed for one sector, and the Chief Food Safety Officer operates in every zone. A specifically designed command office in Sankat Mochan Marg, Sector 24, will check centrally and rapidly respond to any food safety-related issues.
To enhance surveillance, 10 mobile food testing laboratories are placed at strategic locations on the Maha Kumbh ground. These mobile laboratories have been named “Food Safety on Wheels” and are equipped to carry out spot tests for adulteration and deterioration of food products. Food analysts accompany FSOs to ensure prompt action and full compliance with the safety measures.
Key Initiatives by FSSAI at Maha Kumbh 2025
Deployment of Food Safety Officers (FSOs): A total of 56 FSOs have been assigned across five zones and 25 sectors of the Maha Kumbh area. Each sector has two FSOs, supervised by Chief Food Safety Officers (CFSOs) to ensure comprehensive monitoring.
Mobile Food Testing Labs: FSSAI has stationed 10 Mobile Food Testing Labs, dubbed “Food Safety on Wheels,” which conduct on-the-spot tests for food adulteration and spoilage. These labs are strategically placed throughout the event to facilitate rapid response to food safety issues.
Regular Inspections: Continuous inspections are being carried out at hotels, dhabas, and food stalls to verify compliance with hygiene standards. The teams are tasked with addressing food safety complaints promptly and ensuring that cooking methods adhere to safety regulations.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Interactive pavilions have been set up where officials engage with attendees through street plays, quizzes, and educational sessions focused on the importance of safe food practices. This initiative aims to raise awareness about issues such as food adulteration and proper food handling techniques.
Sample Testing: Essential food items are regularly sampled and tested at the Regional Public Health Laboratory in Varanasi to ensure they meet safety standards before being served at the event.
Inspection and sample testing
Regular inspections are being made in hotels, dhabas, and food stalls. The cooking procedure will be hygiene oriented, and the raw materials of quality shall be used for preparing foodstuffs. Staple samples from the distribution and storage points have been collected from different places. They are analyzed through proper techniques at the Regional Public Health Laboratory, Varanasi.
The place also has installed pavilions, which are interactive in nature and come forward to connect with the devotees and food vendors. Through street plays, live quizzes, and interactive sessions, the officials are teaching the visitors why safe and hygienic food is important. It focuses on awareness about the problems of adulteration, food licensing, and training the vendors.
This would empower the food business operators and vendors to ensure that they are able to provide safe and healthy food for the devotees through maintaining safety standards.
Such proactive steps being taken by FSSAI at Maha Kumbh 2025 reflect an interest in upholding public health at one of the world’s largest gatherings. Through strict implementation with simultaneous public enlightenment, the authority will be setting up a benchmark for food safety at large scale events.
This will ensure the health and well-being of the millions who will be attending Maha Kumbh but also promotes a culture of food safety that will last long after the event.
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