'Samples Adulterated': Tirupati Temple Trust to Take Legal Action Over Laddoo Adulteration Row

New Delhi: In its first official response to the recent laddoo controversy, the Tirupati Temple Trust said on Friday that it would soon take a legal action. The trust confirmed that samples of the temple's famous laddoo prasad were found to be adulterated.

Speaking to reporters, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam's (TTD) Executive Officer J Syamala Rao said, "A good laddoo is made only with pure cow ghee. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had expressed his wishes clearly. Upon his instructions, we closely examined the samples and warned those flouting the norms. We threatened to blacklist them at first."

Rao further revealed that the samples tested were "highly adulterated," adding that the Trust would take legal measures in response.

For the unversed, the controversy erupted earlier in the week after former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat had been used in making the laddoos during the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) administration. The claim has led to a political row, with the YSRCP accusing Naidu of making "heinous allegations" for political gain.

"Tirumala Venkateshwara Swamy is the most revered site for Hindus. Every Hindu aspires to have a darshan of the Swamy at least once," said the Trust official, emphasizing the importance of the temple.

Rao disclosed that after he was appointed as the TTD executive officer by the current government, the new Chief Minister expressed concerns over the poor quality of the laddoos and the ghee used. He said Naidu had received numerous complaints about the alleged use of animal fats in the prasad.

Referring to a laboratory report from a Gujarat -based livestock testing facility, Rao noted that it confirmed the adulteration. "The TTD does not have its own labs to do adulteration tests, but it has been associated with private labs that are enabled with NABL testing norms. However, we noticed that testing wasn’t done properly even in those private labs," he said.

Rao criticized the use of low-quality ghee under the previous administration, noting, "Pure ghee is expensive, but cheap-rated ghee was used by the previous administration. It is understood everywhere that the cheaper the cost, the poorer the quality. That was the case here."

He also highlighted the role of Raaj Milk – AR Dairy Food Private Limited, a Tamil Nadu-based company that supplied ghee to the temple. "All existing suppliers, except AR Dairy, complied with our instructions," Rao said.

The trust conducted inspections of four AR Dairy trucks in early July, and the samples were sent for further testing. "Four of their trucks were inspected on July 6 and 12, after which we immediately sent their samples to a different laboratory outside for the first time. Later, the abnormalities were exposed by the laboratory in Gujarat 's Anand," Rao explained.

The results showed massive violations. "The parameters in the laboratory report clearly show violations. The samples were highly adulterated," Rao said, further stating that lard content was measured at 116, far exceeding the acceptable limit of 102. Additionally, a combination of palm oil and beef tallow was found to be 23.2, indicating contamination with various animal fats.

As a result, AR Dairy has been blacklisted, with penalties and legal proceedings already underway. "We immediately blacklisted them. Penalties will also be imposed, and due legal process is also being followed," Rao added.

To prevent future incidents, the trust is considering setting up its own sensory labs and has been offered adulteration testing kits by the laboratory. "The laboratory has also volunteered to set up adulteration testing kits, and the temple authorities are also mulling developing sensory labs to ensure this never repeats," the official added.