Stop order on sale of Appam at Sabarimala

Kerala Food Safety Department finds use of inferior quality rice

Appam under preparation at the Travancore Devaswom Board plant at Sabarimala.

The Food Safety Department has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to stop the sales and distribution of Appam prepared at its Sabarimala plant using the rice brought by devotees in the Irumudikkettu.

Assistant Commissioner of the Food Safety Department C.P. Ramachandran told The Hindu that the quality of the rice used for preparing the prasadom was not found up to the standards.

The Food Safety team had collected samples of the rice powder used for Appam preparation at the Sabarimala plant and it was found not fit for human consumption, department sources said.

Though the Kerala High Court had directed in 2015 the TDB not to reuse articles brought by the pilgrims in their Irumudikkettu, the board has been using the rice brought in Irumudikkettu for Appam preparation all these years, Mr. Ramachandran said.

He said the department was bound to action at the very sight of violation of the court order and use of inferior quality ingredients for prasadom preparation.

TDB member clarifies

TDB member K. Raghavan has said that the board would resume the Appam production with the concurrence of the court. He said the board would also take steps to procure rice for Appam preparation from agencies like RAIDCO on a war footing.