Beef biryani was given a miss at the three-day food festival underway at the Island Grounds here as no caterer offered to put up a stall, Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian said on Friday.
People could savour a variety of dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, as over 150 stalls have been put up. Some of them showcased Tamil Nadu's traditional cuisine which has nutritious value.
A good number of self help groups (SHGs) too participated in the food festival being organised by the TN Food Safety Department in association with Eat Right India, an initiative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The event inaugurated by Subramanian along with Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu, concludes on August 14 with a health awareness walk.
"The absence of a beef biryani stall at the three-day food festival is not deliberate. The delicacy was skipped as no caterer offered to put up a stall," Subramanian replied when reporters drew his attention after the inauguration.
"Even I eat it. There is no need to make an issue. Food is one's personal preference and no one can stop it," the minister said. "Had anyone expressed interest, then we would have permitted them to set up a stall," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
