Tirupati Laddu Controversy: TTD Official Says Samples 'Highly Adulterated', Initiates Blacklisting Procedure

Tirupati Laddu Controversy: TTD Executive Officer Shamala Rao announced that an expert committee has been formed to address the issue, improve ghee supplies and strengthen internal systems.

Tirupati Laddu Controversy: Amid the controversy over adulteration in the ghee used for making prasad at the Tirumala Tirupati shrine, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Executive Officer Shamala Rao confirmed that tests revealed the ghee was adulterated with both vegetable and animal fats. He announced that an expert committee has been formed to address the issue, improve ghee supplies and strengthen internal systems to prevent future occurrences.

Addressing the media at the Annamaiah Bhavan’s Meeting Hall in Tirumala on Friday, Shamala Rao stated, "The report says the ghee sample is adulterated with vegetable fat and also animal fat. Animal fat adulteration includes lard (pig fat), palm oil, beef tallow, and fish oil including grape seed and linseed. The ghee sample was a concoction of all this and the result was abnormally low. Pure milk fat should have a reading between 95.68 to 104.32, but all our ghee samples had values around 20, which means the ghee supplied is highly adulterated... We started the procedure for blacklisting and also penalising the supplier."

Additionally, TTD has formed an expert committee to set up an in-house lab to ensure future quality control and they have already identified new suppliers who meet the required standards.

The controversy arose after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu raised concerns over the presence of animal fat in the ghee used to make the Tirupati laddus, sparking public outrage. Following the issue, four truckloads of ghee were found to be substandard, and lab tests confirmed adulteration, including lard.

Rao confirmed that similar results were found across all tested samples, leading to an immediate halt in supplies and the initiation of legal action against the supplier. Rao acknowledged that the lack of an in-house lab and reliance on external testing had contributed to the issue, allowing suppliers to exploit these gaps. He assured the public that measures are now in place to prevent such problems in the future.

Tirupati Prasad Controversy: TTD Vows To Maintain Laddu Prasadam Quality Amid Concerns

Rao reaffirmed that the institution is committed to ensuring the sanctity of the revered Laddu Prasadam by using pure cow ghee. He assured that there would be no compromise in the quality of ghee, given the religious sentiments attached to the prasadam by millions of devotees visiting the  Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala.

 Syamala Rao stated, "The Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,  Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, has clearly emphasised the need to ensure the quality and taste of Laddu Prasadam by using pure cow ghee, given the strong emotions of devotees worldwide." He added that since the new TTD administration took charge, they had focused on improving the quality and taste of laddus following complaints from pilgrims about a decline in standards over recent years.

Syamala Rao also revealed that, for the first time, ghee supplied to the temple was sent to an external lab for adulteration testing after concerns were raised about its quality. "There are five suppliers providing ghee to TTD, with rates ranging from Rs 320 to Rs 411, namely Premier Agri Foods, Kriparam Dairy, Vaishnavi, Sri Parag Milk, and AR Dairy. Upon preliminary analysis, these rates seem unfeasible for supplying pure ghee."

The EO highlighted that despite warnings to suppliers about ensuring ghee quality, four tankers from AR Dairy were found to be of substandard quality. "The S-value analysis, conducted by NDDB CALF Anand, revealed that the ghee samples were outside acceptable limits, indicating the presence of foreign fats such as soybean, sunflower, palm kernel fat, or even lard and beef tallow," he disclosed. The acceptable S-value range for pure milk fat is between 98.05 and 104.32, but the samples showed values between 23.22 and 116, suggesting contamination with vegetable oils.

Syamala Rao further attributed the quality issues to the absence of an in-house laboratory for testing ghee adulteration, which suppliers exploited. "The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has agreed to donate ghee adulteration testing equipment worth Rs 75 lakh, which will likely be operational by December or January as a permanent solution."

In light of these concerns, TTD has temporarily halted the use of cow-based products in making Srivari Prasadam until further review. Complaints about the quality and taste of Anna Prasadam have also been reported by devotees, prompting TTD to form a committee of experts. After a detailed examination, a decision will be made regarding the restoration of these supplies.

The Additional EO of TTD, Ch Venkaiah Chowdhary, was also present at the media briefing.