Animal fat row: As the controversy over the claim that animal fat was being used for the preparation of Tirupati laddus snowballed, A R Dairy Food Private Limited, which supplied ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to prepare prasadam, has denied allegations of adulteration.
The Dindigul-based company, in the eye of the storm, has said that it is one of the many suppliers of ghee to TTD.
“First of all, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) lab test report does not say that the ghee sample was from A R Diary. The report also mentions that there is a possibility of false positive results. TTD accepted the tankers of ghee we provided this June and July only after test reports were to their satisfaction. We stopped supplying after July as TTD changed the vendors. There are a number of reasons why traces of foreign fat may be found in ghee, including cow feed,” the head of quality control department at A R Dairy Food told The Indian Express.
“That ghee sample cannot be from A R Dairy Food Private Limited, that is our stand,” she added, IE reported.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams reacts
This comes after TTD executive officer J Shamala Rao claimed that the four ghee samples sent to NDDB were from A R Dairy Food, and had arrived in four tankers on July 6 and July 12 this year.
He also told the media, “The report says the ghee sample is adulterated with vegetable fat and also animal fat. Animal fat adulteration includes lard (pig fat), palm oil, beef tallow, and fish oil including grape seed and linseed. The ghee sample was a concoction of all this and the result was abnormally low. Pure milk fat should have a reading between 95.68 to 104.32, but all our ghee samples had values around 20, which means the ghee supplied is highly adulterated… We started the procedure for blacklisting and also penalising the supplier. We formed an expert committee to improve ghee supplies and also to strengthen our internal system so that we don’t face this problem again… We have found suppliers who have passed the tests… We have been asked by the expert committee to set up our own lab… This problem will be solved in the future.”
JP Nadda seeks report
Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and sought a report in connection with the alleged use of animal fat and other sub-standard ingredients in the making of famous Tirupati laddoos.
JP Nadda said, “I spoke to Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu after getting information about this and took details from him. I have asked him to share the available report so that I can examine it. I will also speak to the state regulators and investigate this. Suitable action will be taken as per the food safety standards. As of now, I have asked for the report and we will examine it.”
Also Read: Tirupati laddu controversy: TDP presents lab report alleging presence of beef tallow in sacred sweet
What is the row about?
A massive controversy broke out earlier this week after Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat and other sub-standard ingredients were used for making Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
Later, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) presented a lab report from Gujarat-based NDDB CALF Ltd which confirmed the presence of “beef tallow,” “lard” (pig fat), and fish oil in the ghee samples used for making the laddus.
At a press conference, TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy displayed the purported lab report which showed that the ghee samples tested had been received by CALF (Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock & Food) on July 9, 2024, and the report was dated July 16, 2024.
The report’s findings have intensified the debate over the authenticity of the ingredients used in the preparation of the famous sweet.