Tirumala: As the Tirumala Srivari Mahaprasadam laddu adulteration controversy sends shockwaves across the country, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Executive Officer (EO) Shyamala Rao has addressed the issue. He confirmed that complaints regarding the quality of the laddus had been received for some time and acknowledged the dissatisfaction expressed by the Potu (kitchen) staff.
Shyamala Rao revealed that the staff emphasized the need for high-quality ghee to maintain the standard of the laddus. “We informed the contractor that the supplied ghee was of inferior quality. TTD does not have its own laboratory to test the ghee quality and has relied on external labs for quality assurance,” Rao stated. The ghee was being supplied at a rate of Rs.411 per kg, which, according to him, was too low for quality ghee. After issuing warnings to the contractors, the quality improved temporarily.
However, further investigations revealed that the ghee was still substandard. On July 6, samples from four tankers were sent to 10 different laboratories, including the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) lab in Anand, Gujarat, one of the most reputed labs for ghee testing. “The lab reports confirmed the ghee was heavily adulterated, with animal fat being mixed. This is the first time in history that such a comprehensive test has been conducted,” said Shyamala Rao, adding that TTD has taken measures to prevent such issues in the future.
