Tirumala to get 'E-Tongue' and 'E-Nose' machines to check quality of prasadam

Tirumala to get 'E-Tongue' and 'E-Nose' machines to check quality of prasadam

• AP nears completion of Rs 25 crore food lab at Tirumala temple
• Lab to test prasadam ingredients with advanced E-Tongue, E-Nose
• New facility to ensure food safety post ghee adulteration scandal

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The Andhra Pradesh government is close to completing a dedicated food testing laboratory at Tirumala aimed at ensuring the safety and purity of prasadam and other food served to lakhs of devotees visiting the temple town.

State Health Minister and BJP MLA Y Satya Kumar Yadav said the facility, being established at a cost of Rs 25 crore, will be equipped to examine nearly 60 ingredients used in preparing prasadam. These include ghee, cashew nuts, raisins, almonds, gram, sugar, cardamom, turmeric and chilli powder.

A key feature of the laboratory will be the induction of advanced “E-Tongue” and “E-Nose” machines being sourced from France at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore. The devices are designed to detect even the slightest variation in the quality of ghee.

"Even the slightest drop in quality can be identified by these machines," Satya Kumar said.

According to the minister, civil and infrastructure works at the lab are 90 percent complete and operations are expected to begin next month. Installation of the sophisticated equipment is likely to be completed by May.

The project follows an agreement signed on October 8, 2024, between the state Health Department and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in New Delhi. FSSAI has sanctioned Rs 23 crore towards the initiative. The laboratory is being developed in a renovated two-storey building spread across 12,000 square feet in Tirumala.

Once functional, the lab will house 50 advanced instruments capable of conducting microbiological, chemical and sensory examinations. Officials said it will be able to identify up to 200 varieties of pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbial contamination and antibiotic traces in food and water samples. Regular testing of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams water and prasadam samples is also planned.

The facility will be operated by around 40 personnel drawn from the Health Department and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. Authorities describe it as the first such sophisticated food testing centre at a major pilgrimage destination in the state, intended to strengthen public trust in the quality of offerings.

The move comes in the backdrop of a controversy in 2024 when Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged adulteration of ghee at the Tirumala shrine. Subsequently, the Supreme Court appointed a CBI-led Special Investigation Team to probe the claims.

The SIT report stated that adulterated ghee worth about Rs 250 crore was allegedly used in preparing prasadam between 2019 and 2024 and supplied in substantial quantities over the years. The court-monitored investigation, involving central and state agencies, has questioned former Tirupati Temple Board officials and scrutinised procurement records.

The issue has since taken a political turn, with the ruling Telugu Desam Party accusing the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government of mismanagement and compromising food standards. The opposition YSR Congress Party has rejected the allegations, countering the ruling party’s claims and criticising the decision to appoint a one-man committee to review the SIT findings.