Tirupati Laddu row | ‘Fish oil more expensive’: Accused ghee supplier refutes allegations

An employee of AR Dairy Food Private Limited – a Tamil Nadu-based company in the dock for allegedly supplying adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for Sri Venkateswara Temple prasadam – has called the allegations against the firm “absurd”.

A day after the TTD initiated legal action against the firm, the employee refuted the allegation that fish oil was used to prepare ghee. He said the charge was absurd because fish oil was more expensive than ghee.

Kanan, a quality control officer of the firm, said any adulteration of this kind would be immediately detectable by smell.

“These allegations, ranging from vegetable oil to animal fat adulteration, are severely damaging to our business. Moreover, the claim that fish oil was added is absurd; fish oil is more expensive than ghee. Any adulteration of this kind would immediately be detectable by smell alone,” he told a Tamil channel, according to The Indian Express.

The officer said the company has been producing ghee since 1998. He said the milk procured for ghee undergoes 102 quality checks.

He said the company’s ghee was approved by TTD.

“Our ghee samples are first tested in national laboratories before being dispatched to TTD. Upon arrival, TTD’s food safety officer checks the samples again,” he added.

Meanwhile, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said in a post on Sunday that the row has inflicted a deep wound in the Hindu psyche.

“The Tirupati laddu row has inflicted a deep wound and rage in the Hindu psyche. It is high time that temple management is overseen by, and handed over to, religious leaders and devotees, rather than self-serving officials, ruthless business people and politicians,” he wrote on X.

TTD executive officer J Shyamala Rao said last week that lab tests revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples of the ghee supplied by the company.

Andhra minister Nara Lokesh said on Saturday that the government will not spare those involved in using animal fats in Tirupati laddus.

“NDDB’s report is clear that adulteration happened. The report is clear, this is not an allegation. Chandrababu Naidu spoke with facts. We will not spare anyone and we will also not leave this issue with just a CBI inquiry,” he said.