Amid the ongoing controversy over Tirupati laddu, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare on Monday said her department will consider additional measures to monitor ghee quality in the market only after receiving the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) report.
“We will wait for its report,” Khare stated during a media briefing on the Modi 3.0 government’s 100-day achievements.
She emphasised that food safety falls under FSSAI's purview, adding, “We should all wait for the FSSAI to take action.” Responding to queries about potential pre-festive season checks on ghee quality, Khare said, “We will take more action, if required, after the FSSAI report and provided there are consumer complaints on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH).”
The secretary clarified that food-related complaints received on NCH are typically forwarded to FSSAI for action, given their expertise in the matter.
The controversy has sparked reactions across states. Karnataka has mandated testing of temple prasadam and specified the use of only Nandini ghee for the preparation. In Uttar Pradesh, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has collected 13 samples of 'prasadam' from prominent temples in Mathura for testing.
Amid the controversy, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) announced plans “to install an in-house adulteration testing machine soon” to ensure the purity and meet food-safety standards at the temple.
As per reports, TTD Executive Officer Shyamala Rao revealed that the advanced testing equipment will ensure the quality and purity of the ghee used in making laddus. The machine, donated by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), is expected to be operational by December or January.
The issue came to light after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged on September 18 that the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government had used substandard ingredients and animal fat in Tirupati laddus. Naidu subsequently announced a Special Investigation Team to probe these claims.
As the controversy continues to reverberate nationwide, various quarters are demanding steps to safeguard the sanctity of Hindu temples and their ‘prasadam’.
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