Sabarimala Food Safety: Kerala High Court Calls for Fully Equipped Testing Laboratory at Pamba
Pamba: The Kerala High Court has called for the establishment of a fully equipped food testing laboratory at Pamba to ensure faster and more effective quality checks of food items supplied at Sabarimala.
The direction was issued by a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K. V. Jayakumar on August 14, 2026, while considering a writ petition related to food safety arrangements at Sabarimala.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) informed the Court that an inspection was attempted at Sabarimala on August 11. However, a comprehensive inspection could not be completed as the temple was closed at the time. The authority said a detailed inspection would be carried out after the temple reopens.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) informed the Court that the laboratory currently available at Pamba is small and lacks the capacity to conduct continuous and exhaustive testing of food products such as Aravana and Appam.
As a result, food samples have to be sent to laboratories in Pathanamthitta or Thiruvananthapuram for testing, causing delays in obtaining results.
The Division Bench observed that “it is high time” that a fully fledged and comprehensive food testing laboratory was established at Pamba. The Court noted that such a facility would enable the necessary tests to be conducted without delay and help ensure strict compliance with food safety standards.
The Bench directed the Special Government Pleader to obtain instructions regarding the feasibility of establishing the laboratory, including its infrastructure, manpower and other requirements.
The authorities have also been asked to provide a time frame for commencing the proposed laboratory at Pamba.
The case has been posted for further consideration on September 14, 2026.