TTD Opens Food Quality Testing Lab At Tirumala
Speaking on the occasion, chairman Naidu said that earlier, samples of prasadam items and ghee had to be sent to laboratories in other states for testing.
TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Tuesday inaugurated a state-of-the-art Food Quality Testing Laboratory at Tirumala. The facility was jointly opened by TTD board chairman B.R. Naidu, executive officer J. Syamala Rao, and additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary.
Speaking on the occasion, chairman Naidu said that earlier, samples of prasadam items and ghee had to be sent to laboratories in other states for testing. With the establishment of the new lab, TTD can now carry out advanced quality checks locally using modern equipment.
Executive officer Rao said the lab is the first of its kind to be equipped with instruments such as Gas Chromatograph (GC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC), allowing immediate testing of ghee for adulteration and quality. The equipment, worth ₹75 lakh, was donated by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Gujarat.
He added that the lab staff received specialised training at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, and are now fully prepared to deliver real-time results on prasadam quality.
In addition, the TTD inaugurated a new SRIVANI Trust darshan ticket counter opposite Annamaiah Bhavan. The TTD chairman noted that pilgrims have been queueing from as early as 5 am to obtain SRIVANI tickets. To meet the demand, the new counters have been built with modern infrastructure at a cost of ₹60 lakh. Ticket distribution from the new facility will begin on Wednesday, and devotees have been urged to utilise the new service.
Later, the chairman also inaugurated upgraded sub-enquiry offices in the HVC and ANC areas, where he reviewed the infrastructure developed to benefit pilgrims.
