Hyderabad: Adulterated cow ghee supplied by a Tamil Nadu-based dairy was returned and not used for making laddus, according to a report by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that was submitted to the government and seen by DH.
The TTD, which manages the Venkateshwara shrine, in its 40-page report lays out in stark detail the failings that eventually swept up the trust in the ongoing row: lack of requisite testing equipment, absence of trained sensory analyst panel and not sending samples for outside testing among other things.
On Sunday, the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh formed an SIT to probe any irregularities in the TTD, even as former CM Jaganmohan Reddy blasted Naidu for the allegations, calling him a “habitual liar”.
“As per the report of the NDDB, it is concluded that all the samples have vegetable and animal fat-based adulterants, including lard. In view of the above, adulterated cow ghee tankers supplied by the dairy were returned and further supplies were stopped from them, and also a show cause notice was issued to the M/s AR Dairy Pvt Ltd, Dindigul, on 22-07-2024, 23-07-2024, and 27-07-2024,” said the report submitted by TTD executive officer Syamala Rao to the state government.
Interestingly, the EO’s report also said that four samples from the ghee tanks supplied by A R Dairy were sent to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Lab, Anand, Gujarat, “confidentially” for testing its quality as per FSSAI specifications.
Rao submitted a preliminary report to Naidu on the laddu issue on Sunday after it emerged that cow ghee adulterated with animal fats was used to make the laddus.
According to the report, though there is a specific mention to adhere to standards, due to a lack of requisite testing equipment in the TTD laboratory, certain tests for detecting adulteration are not being carried out.
14 samples rejected since 2022
In total, 14 samples were tested and rejected since 2022 based on parameters other than adulteration.
As per tender conditions, facility of outside NABL accredited lab could have been utilised for adulteration testing but this was never done.
“ln view of the above reasons of poor quality control systems i.e lack of testing equipment for adulteration and not sending samples to outside labs for testing, suppliers look advantage and started quoting very low, unviable rates, which are between Rs 320 per kg and Rs 411. It is common knowledge that no one can supply pure ghee with these rates,” said the report.
A R Dairy tender
A R Dairy was selected through an e-tender floated on March 12, 2024, and finalised on May 5 for Rs 319.80 through reverse tendering. And the firm started supplying from June 12, 2024, said the report.
“However his 2 tankers on 6-07-2024 and 2 tankers on 15-07-2024 were found to be of poor quality during physical verification and it was suspected to be adulterated ghee on testing for aroma and taste,” the report states.
“Accordingly, 4 samples were sent to NDDB Lab, Anand, Gujarat confidentially for testing its quality as per FSSAI specifications. The reports were received on 16-07-2024 and 23-07-2024.”
The TTD report states that the NDDB report concluded that “all the samples have vegetable and animal fat-based adulterants including lard”.
Following this discovery, adulterated cow ghee tankers by the dairy were “returned” and further supplies “stopped”.