Nearly one lakh packets of ‘appam’ worth Rs.30 lakh were destroyed at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyapan temple premises on Friday, after devotees complained of getting fungus-affected ones.
There would now be restrictions on the number of appams devotees get. “The appam stock was taken out and burnt on the advice of the food safety commissioner.”
The Devaswom Board has decided to bake appams after nearly one lakh packets of the food item were destroyed at the Sabarimala temple due to fungi.
“From now on, we will not pile them up, but bake reduced quantities. Steps have been taken to ensure that those being distributed are manufactured on the same day,” Devaswom commissioner N. Vasu said.
The restriction meant each of the devotees got no more than two packets of appam from Friday.
Complaints of fungus infection were first made when the over two-months-long pilgrimage season started on November 16.
This time around, there is a change in the ratio of ingredient-mixing to make the appams soft. This is done by increasing the quantity of banana which however reduces the lifespan of the appams.