Ganpati idols are on the move — carefully transported from workshops in Mumbai's Parel area to pandals across the city. (Express Photo: Amit Chakravarty)Housing societies in Vasai-Virar and Mumbai have begun circulating messages, asking residents to inform the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before organising Ganpati mahaprasad, bhandara, and other community food-distribution programmes, including those held within society premises for residents alone, and to ensure the caterer holds an FSSAI licence.An FDA official confirmed that the food safety body’s directions on Ganpati prasad and bhandara are based on the department’s festival SOPs issued on September 3. “Yes, this is true. Housing societies have started issuing these messages ahead of the festivities after we issued the festival SOPs on September 3,” the official said.As directed, residential societies in Vasai-Virar and Andheri must inform the FDA at least seven days before an event.The advisory has drawn attention because it applies not only to large public gatherings but also to community meals organised within housing societies. The messages state that distributing prasad to 100–200 residents would still qualify as “collective food distribution”.The FDA directive requires the organisers to submit a letter to the designated officer or food safety officer in their area at least seven days before the event. The letter should mention the date of the programme, the anticipated number of people, and the caterer’s name and FSSAI number.Where residents prepare the food themselves, the FDA advises them to obtain temporary FSSAI registration through the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) portal. They also ask organisers to retain bills for ingredients such as oil, ghee, paneer and groceries purchased from licensed establishments.They further list food-safety precautions, including the use of caps, masks, gloves and aprons by those preparing the food; the use of RO water for drinking and cooking; storage in steel or food-grade containers; and a prohibition on distributing stale food. They also ask organisers to display a Food Safety Connect QR code.Story continues below this adThe directives also ask residents to approach the Palghar FDA office, while the Andheri version refers them to the Food Safety Officer of the relevant BMC ward. Both suggest submitting a simple letter on the society’s letterhead and obtaining an acknowledgement.Any violation of the directives to ensure food safety could invite a case and a fine ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh.However, it is not confirmed whether the precise statutory provision and the penalty apply to every instance of non-intimation or only to violations.