State-of-the-art food laboratory at Tirumala
Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh government is set to launch a ₹25-crore ultra-modern food laboratory at Tirumala to ensure the safety and quality of prasadam served to devotees. The laboratory, equipped with 50 advanced instruments, will conduct tests in microbiology, chemistry, and sensory analysis, including pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbes, and antibiotic traces.
E-Tongue and E-Nose machines imported from France can detect even minute changes in the quality of ghee and other ingredients used in prasadam preparation. They will provide rapid and non-destructive analysis, reducing human intervention and enabling early detection of anomalies
The laboratory will test around 60 raw materials, including ghee, dry fruits, pulses, spices, and sugar, besides finished prasadam, food items, and water supplied to devotees.
The laboratory is being set up following allegations of adulterated ghee used in Tirumala laddus in 2024. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has sanctioned ₹23 crore for the project, and the state government will contribute the remaining ₹2 crore.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav stated that the laboratory will be operational next month, with 40 personnel from the Health Department and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams managing the site.
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