UNION Health Minister Nadda on Friday said he had spoken to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and sought a report on the Tirupati laddu issue. Nadda said the matter would be examined by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and suitable action taken. aidu has claimed that animal fat was used for making Tirupati laddus during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy Government, triggering a massive political row with the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) accusing the Chief Minister of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) circulating a lab report to back the claim. Addressing a press conference on the achievements in the health sector during the first 100 days of the Modi Government’s third term, Nadda said, “I got to know about the issue through social media. I spoke to Chandrababu Naidu today and asked him to share the available report so that I can examine it. I will also speak to the state regulators and take their views.” “The report will be examined and suitable action taken within the legal framework and regulations under the FSSAI. The FSSAI will examine it, give a report and then we will take action,” he added.

 

The FSSAI is a statutory body under the administration of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi has also called for an investigation into the allegation, which has sparked concern among devotees. “Whatever the Andhra chief minister has said is a matter of serious concern. A detailed inquiry is required and the culprit should be punished,” Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of a global food regulators’ summit in Delhi. TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy had on Thursday claimed that adulteration was confirmed by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory in ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple. He showed the purported lab report, which apparently confirmed the presence of “beef tallow”, “lard” and “fish oil” in the sample.

 

The sample receipt date was July 9 and the lab report was dated July 16. Ghee suppliers took advantage of lack of in-house testing facilities says TTD: 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. “Now the reason for the lack of quality is not having an in-house lab, sending the samples to outside labs for testing and unviable rates,” he said. The EO highlighted that the suppliers took advantage of these deficiencies. The TTD administers the popular hill shrine that attracts lakhs of devotees throughout the year. CM Naidu had earlier expressed concern over the quality of ghee as well as Laddu and highlighted complaints of the presence of animal fat in the sweet, Rao told reporters here.