Naidu Inaugurates State-of-the-Art Food Testing Lab at Tirumala to Safeguard Prasadams
In a significant move to ensure the purity and safety of sacred offerings, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated a cutting-edge food testing laboratory at Tirumala on Saturday. The facility, established by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) with support from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), spans 12,000 square feet and was constructed at a cost of ₹25 crore. This initiative comes in response to widespread concern among devotees of Lord Venkateswara worldwide following the laddu ghee adulteration controversy that unfolded in 2024, prompting the state government to advise the temple trust to set up an in-house advanced food analysis laboratory.
Advanced Technology for Uncompromising Quality
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav highlighted that the lab is equipped with over 50 advanced instruments for chemical and microbiological testing. Notably, it features electronic tongue and electronic nose equipment, imported from France at a cost of ₹3.5 crore, to continuously monitor the quality of prasadams and food served to devotees at Tirumala. Dr. Satyen Kumar Panda, principal scientist and advisor at FSSAI, explained that the e-nose is a sensor-based device designed to detect odours and volatile compounds released from food, analyzing gas patterns as an odour fingerprint matched against known quality profiles. Similarly, the e-tongue applies this concept to liquids, focusing on taste-related chemical components using multiple electrochemical sensors that respond to dissolved substances responsible for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter characteristics.
Rapid and Automated Quality Checks
Minister Yadav emphasized that both instruments enable rapid and automated quality checks without the need for human tasting or smelling, which is crucial for maintaining hygiene and efficiency. He added that these technologies are already utilized globally in various sectors, including dairy, edible oils, and beverages, to detect spoilage, adulteration, and flavour variations. In 2024, the Gujarat-based National Dairy Development Board further enhanced the lab's capabilities by donating gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography equipment worth ₹75 lakh, allowing for instant and on-site testing of ghee for adulteration and quality, including detection of animal and vegetable fat contamination.
Reforms and Appreciation
Chief Minister Naidu commended the TTD administration for initiating reforms to streamline the testing parameters of various ingredients used in sacred prasadams through the establishment of this state-of-the-art facility. The lab's implementation aims to prevent adulterated ingredients from entering the offerings made to the presiding deity at the Tirumala temple and subsequently served to visiting devotees, thereby restoring trust and ensuring devotional integrity.
