Ghee Suppliers Exploited Lack Of In-House Testing Facility: Tirupati Temple Body

Lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples, TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said.

Amidst a raging controversy over the quality of ghee and alleged presence of animal fat in the laddus distributed to the devotees of Lord Venkateswara shrine here, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Friday said ghee suppliers to the temple body took advantage of the lack of in-house adulteration testing facility and also not making use of outside facilities.

Lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples, TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said.

Addressing a press conference over the quality of ghee being used to make Tirupati laddus (consecrated sweets), especially in the wake of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's claim that animal fat was used to make them, the executive officer noted that ghee quality has fallen drastically.