Tirupati Laddu Controversy: In the past days the controversy around the sacred Tirupati Laddu has taken a centre stage in India as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat, including beef tallow, was used in the ghee supplied for prasad's preparation during the YSRCP regime. The claims are based on lab reports from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat, which revealed the presence of beef tallow, lard, and fish oil in ghee samples supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).
TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy stated, “The lab reports certify that beef tallow and animal fat—lard and fish oil—were used in the preparation of ghee supplied to Tirumala.” He also highlighted that the "S value" of the ghee, an indicator of purity, was alarmingly low, at 19.7, far below the acceptable range for pure ghee.
Spotlight On Ghee Suppliers
The controversy has now shifted focus to the suppliers responsible for providing ghee to TTD for making the iconic laddus. Five companies—Premier Agri Foods, Kriparam Dairy, Vaishnavi, Sri Parag Milk, and AR Dairy—have been supplying ghee at prices ranging from Rs. 320 to Rs. 411 per kilogram, as per TTD. However, concerns have been raised that these rates are not feasible for pure ghee.
Amid these allegations, TTD's new administration has sent samples of laddu for testing and found out that the ghee used in the prasadam was of substandard quality. They also warned all suppliers to ensure high-quality ghee and if not they would be blacklisted.
Despite these warning, according to TTD, four ghee tankers from AR Dairy were found to be substandard, according to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. According to reports, S-value analysis of the samples, conducted by NDDB's CALF Lab in Anand, Gujarat, revealed foreign fats in the ghee. The tested samples showed significant deviations from the standard S-value for pure milk fat, which ranges between 98.05 and 104.32. The ghee samples returned values between 23.22 and 116, suggesting the presence of foreign substances, including vegetable oils like soybean, sunflower, palm kernel fat, and even animal fats such as lard and beef tallow.
AR Dairy’s Response
A.R. Dairy Food Private Limited, one of the key suppliers accused of providing substandard ghee, responded to the controversy in an interview with ABP Nadu on Friday. The company denied the allegations, stating, "Anyone can check the quality of our company’s ghee at any time. Due to apprehensions about the quality, TTD has temporarily suspended procurement from us. However, our ghee has tested 99% good in all quality checks."
The company further clarified that they have not received any formal information regarding their blacklisting. AR Dairy, which has been in operation since 1995, handles around 2 lakh liters of milk per day and has established itself as a fast-growing dairy company in Tamil Nadu.
According to AR Diary, "Raaj Milk is at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge milk processing technology to deliver high-quality milk proteins. As part of our Vision 2025, we aim to expand our coverage by 30% by 2025 and achieve an additional 50% growth by 2027."