Tirumala to launch 25 crore high-tech food lab for prasadam quality control
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The Andhra Pradesh government is finalising a state-of-the-art food testing laboratory in Tirumala to ensure the safety and purity of temple prasadam.
Established at a cost of 25 crore, the facility is approximately 90 percent complete and is expected to begin operations next month.
This initiative follows a 2024 agreement between the state Health Department and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which provided 23 crore for the project.
The 12,000 square foot laboratory features 50 sophisticated instruments capable of performing complex microbiology, chemistry, and sensory evaluations. Among the most advanced equipment are the E-Tongue and E-Nose imported from France, which are designed to detect even the most minute variations in the quality of ghee.
The facility can identify up to 200 different pesticide residues, heavy metals, microorganisms, and antibiotic traces in both food products and water samples.
The laboratory will monitor nearly 60 varieties of raw materials used in the preparation of temple offerings, including cashew nuts, raisins, Bengal gram, cardamom, and turmeric.
Approximately 40 personnel from the Health Department and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams will manage the site. Regular testing will be conducted on all prasadam samples and TTD water supplies to maintain rigorous health standards for the millions of devotees who visit the shrine.
This high-tech intervention comes in the wake of a Special Investigation Team report concerning ghee adulteration. The inquiry alleged that tainted ghee worth approximately 250 crore was used in prasadam preparation between 2019 and 2024. By installing equipment capable of detecting impurities that traditional testing might miss, the new laboratory aims to restore complete confidence in the integrity of the sacred offerings provided at the temple.