Amid laddoo row, Tirupati temple sets up panel to examine ghee quality

Tirupati Laddu Controversy: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer J Syamala Rao said that the contractors were also warned of stringent action if they supply adulterated and low-quality ghee.

In Short

• Panel of four dairy experts to look into quality of ghee procured
• Contractors also warned against supplying adulterated ghee
• Lab report confirmed animal fats, fish oil in ghee for making laddoos

Hours after a lab report confirmed that the laddoos offered to devotees as prasad at Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh contained animal fats and fish oil, a four-member committee was set up to keep a check on the ghee procured by the shrine.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer J Syamala Rao on Thursday said that a committee of four dairy experts comprising Dr Surendranath, Dr Vijay Bhaskar Reddy, Dr Swarnalatha and Dr Mahadevan has been constituted and is expected to submit their report within a week.

The committee will also advise on terms and conditions to be included for procuring quality ghee in the tenders, he said.

Addressing a media conference at Goluklam Rest House, the senior bureaucrat said that the contractors were also warned of stringent action if they supply adulterated and low-quality ghee.

"Ghee suppliers were directed to supply only quality ghee to TTD and one of the companies which was found supplying adulterated ghee as found in the NABL test report, was issued a showcase notice for blacklisting. Another company has also been identified for supplying poor-quality ghee", he pointed out.

Rao cautioned that if the ghee suppliers did not follow the tender conditions and regulations, the TTD would take stern action against them.

J Syamala Rao, however, admitted that there were limitations and constraints in systems for processing raw materials and ghee through procurement as there is no adulteration testing equipment. "It is very much needed", he said.

On Thursday, a report by NDDB CALF, a private laboratory focused on testing animal feed and milk and milk products, revealed that the samples of the ghee used in making Tirupati laddoos contained foreign fat, including palm oil, fish oil, beef tallow and lard (obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig). The copy of the report was shared by ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy.

There is a political blame-game going on in the state after the controversy broke out as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSR Congress (YSRCP) government of using animal fat and substandard ingredients in making the Tirupati laddoo.

Meanwhile, YSRCP termed Naidu's allegation as "malicious" and said that the TDP supremo would "stoop to any level for political gain".