Tirupati Laddus Controversy: Food Minister Pralhad Joshi Calls for Investigation into Allegations of Animal Fat Use

Food Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday urged an investigation into allegations raised by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu regarding the use of animal fat in the preparation of Tirupati laddus. The claim has sparked concern among devotees.

"Whatever the Andhra Chief Minister has said is a matter of serious concern. A detailed enquiry is required and the culprit should be punished," Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of a global food regulators summit here.

During an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday, Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government had compromised the sanctity of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati by using substandard ingredients and animal fat in the preparation of laddus.

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TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy, during a press conference on Thursday in Amaravati, claimed that a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory had confirmed the adulteration of ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the renowned Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple. The laboratory reportedly detected the presence of animal fat in the ghee used for making laddus.

He displayed the purported lab report which apparently confirmed the presence of "beef tallow", "lard" and "fish oil" in the given ghee sample. The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024 and the lab report was dated July 16.