Tirupati: In a bid to prioritise the health and safety of pilgrims visiting the holy town of Tirumala, the food safety department, in collaboration with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) health wing, organised a Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme for local hoteliers on Wednesday.
Addressing the gathering, TTD additional executive officer (EO) Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary emphasised that providing healthy and hygienic food to the numerous pilgrims is the TTD's top priority. He described the FoSTaC programme as a crucial large-scale training initiative aimed at ensuring the delivery of healthy and delicious food to devotees.
"Under the instructions of TTD executive officer J. Syamala Rao, we have organised this training to ensure that all eateries adhere to the standards prescribed by Food Safety authorities, keeping the health and safety of the devotees in mind," Chowdary said. The additional EO also stressed the importance of hoteliers strictly following internal processes and streamlining practices such as cleaning, storing, and serving according to established standards.
During the training session, FSSAI-certified trainer Ch. Anjaneyulu presented on the Food Safety Management System, covering hygienic and sanitary practices in restaurants and eateries, the physical, chemical, and biological hazards of food spoilage, waste disposal plans, the display of licences, and penalties for violations of food safety laws and regulations.
TTD deputy executive officer for health Asha Jyothi, announced that the training programme will be conducted for all hoteliers every three months, with regular assessments of hygiene measures in eateries. Tirumala health officer Madhusudhan Rao, food controller of Tirupati district G. Venkateswara Rao, food safety officer of Tirumala Jagadeesh, and Tirumala hoteliers, along with the TTD Annaprasadam canteen staff, were present.
