Strict vigil on quality of Deoghar 'pedas' during Sawan

The Deoghar district administration has geared up for monitoring the quality of the popular pedas (sweets) offered to lord Shiva at Shravani Mela which comes next month. The demand and production of the Prasad goes high during Shravani Mela and so is the supply of the ingredients required to make it. 

“Minimum one and a half to two quintals of pedas are made every day in a shop during the season which is three times of the production in any season. Only 20 per cent of 450 peda selling shops sell good quality of pedas during the season. Another reason for the deterioration in the quality of pedas are many unskilled workers people hire during the season,” said Mukesh Sah a shopkeeper at Deoghar.

A wholesaler, Shyam Keshri said “Around 80 per cent of the confectioners use khowa from Gwalior. The main ingredients used in making peda are khowa and sugar and khowa becomes sour after 24 hours, “ and even admitted that “Maximum number of shops use khowa that is prepared 24 hours before.”

Deputy Commissioner of Deoghar Amit Kumar said “As the demands of pedas goes higher during the season, there are increasing chances of addition of impure substances in order to replace the more valuable ingredients with less valuable ingredients. To check whether the following food sample is adulterated or not, the sample and the raw materials are collected and is further sent for test under Food Safety and Standard Act. If it confirms any negative result severe action is taken against the shopkeeper.”

It is done through verifying adulteration by collecting samples which is examined under designated laboratories. Food safety comes under the department of Health and health officials in each district are entrusted with the job of monitoring safety of food and verify adulteration by collecting samples which is examined in designated labs. 

“A week before the Shravani Mela commence we send some of officials to Deoghar. They inspect the quality of pedas being made and accordingly they judge whether the food sample is substandard, misbranded or unsafe for the human consumption. The sample is then re- tested in the designated labs and if it passes all test it gets permitted to be sold in the market,” said the Director (Food), Praveen Chandra.

In rush of money making, around 450 permanent or temporary peda shop owners do not care about the quality and compromise with the low quality of ingredients used in preparation of pedas. According to Food Safety Norms, fine up to Rs5 lakh is imposed for selling substandard products where as Rs3 lakh is fined for misbranded products and there is a provision of prosecution as well as fine for selling unsafe items.