For the first time, food samples, including ingredients used for making laddoo prasadam offered to Lord Venkateswara and food items offered to devotees, can get tested for quality at Tirumala itself.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) today inaugurated a state-of-the-art Food Quality Testing Laboratory. This crucial facility, a long-awaited addition, was officially opened on Tuesday by TTD Chairman BR Naidu and Executive Officer (EO) J Syamala Rao.
The establishment of this in-house laboratory marks a pivotal moment for the TTD. Historically, the temple administration faced considerable challenges in promptly and efficiently assessing the quality of its food products.
As Chairman Naidu highlighted during the inauguration, "earlier, samples had to be sent to other states to test the quality of items like prasadams and ghee." This process often led to delays and complexities, particularly when quick analysis was required to address quality concerns or dispel controversies.
A notable instance illustrating this challenge was the recent "laddoo controversy," where allegations regarding the purity of ghee used in the iconic Tirupati laddoo prasadam emerged. During that period, samples of ghee reportedly had to be dispatched to external laboratories, even in other states, for testing and verification.
This reliance on external facilities underscored the urgent need for an in-house solution to ensure immediate and transparent quality control. The absence of such a facility within Tirumala meant that critical decisions regarding food safety and quality were often contingent on external lab reports, which could take time to procure and analyse.
Now, with the new laboratory, the TTD is empowered to conduct direct and immediate tests. TTD EO Syamala Rao emphasised the groundbreaking capabilities of the new facility, particularly for ghee analysis.
"Till now, there is no facility to test the quality of ghee in Tirumala, and now for the first time, equipment like GC (Gas Chromatograph) and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatograph) have been installed, which can instantly analyse the adulteration and quality percentage of ghee," he stated. These advanced instruments are vital for detecting contaminants and ensuring the purity of ingredients.
The Executive Officer also gratefully acknowledged the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of Gujarat for their generous donation of equipment worth Rs 75 lakh, making this facility possible.
Furthermore, he informed that the laboratory staff and even the 'potu' workers (those involved in preparing the prasadams) have undergone specialised training at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysore, ensuring expertise in operating the equipment and interpreting results.
This comprehensive approach ensures that quality checks can be performed meticulously and results provided without delay.
