Hare Krishna! 🙏
Wondering if anyone could help me with a Prasadam question that’s been bothering me for a while: I know that if one’s foot touches some Bhoga  it becomes unofferable. However I am wondering what happens if some saliva or other bodily fluid happens to touch food that I’m preparing for offering? If one has a cold and nose drips on the food for example ?  I assume that ideally we should not offer it but are there circumstances where we can overlook it? For example if we’re not be able to acquire replacement in enough time? And does all the food become unofferable or just the part that touched? I suspect I know the answers already (I.e. do the best you can under circumstances) but I’m curious to know others experience with this.
thanks so much in advance 🙏
Daniel
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Replies
Try not to think of offerable and unofferable. Instead we should be trying our best to make offering as best as possible. Cleanliness/ hygiene is the most important principle while doing any deity service including cooking and offering. But certainly a few things can make food unofferable
1. If food is not fresh then it should not be offered. Most items have to be offered fresh and hot immediately after preparation. Beyond 3 hours isn't considered fresh.
2. If someone eats the preparation before offering it should not be offered.
3. If the fresh preparation is mixed with already offered preparation, then the fresh preparation should not be offered.
4. If any of the ingredients contain even remote traces of onion/garlic then it cannot be offered.
5. In general offering should not be made very late in the night(till next day mangal bhog offering), there are some exceptions to this like during janmashtami devotees fast till midnight, during such festive occasions it may be done. Also some temples like jagannatha puri make offerings late in the night almost everyday, these are exceptions.
Other than above there may be lapses while cooking like sweat/hair falling in the preparation. These are offences. We have to beg forgiveness from the lord for the same and take appropriate measures to not commit such offences in future.
Hare Krsna
Food which is have no Love for Krishna is unofferable. If offered with love, the lord accepts even small offering like even leaf, fruit or flower or even water.
What to say about the Shabari the devotee who fed Lord with Jujubee fruit which she picked up selected them by tasting them to ensure they are sweet enough. Lord accepts even that fruit touched with saliva only condition is it is having real love and faith.
Lord accepted even the puny little offering of Sudhama which was simple parched rice tied in a dirty cloth.
What to say about the merciful one.
He even accepted the banana peels offered by Vidhur's wife.
But Yes..., We need to maintain basic cleanliness becoz.. you tell me would you like to be offered dirty food with all that saliva mixed or nose drips mixed.
We shouldn't do it on purpose. Accidentally if something happened and you came to know of it then better not to offer to Lord.
In temples esp. ISKCON they try to maintain utmost care while preparing Prasadam for Lord. I admire that.
Hare Krishna.
In the west most organic fertilizers for growing vegitables are like bone meal.blood meal ,fish meal,and milk comes from places where cows are disrespected to the max and when not productive killed.Think about it deeply and you should know.