AR Dairy, a Tamil Nadu-based supplier of ghee to the renowned Tirumala Tirupati temple, has strongly denied allegations of animal fat

Temple body says it has come across sub-standard ghee and presence of lard in samples tested for quality, echoing claims first made by Naidu

Tirupati: Amid concerns among devotees on the quality of ghee used in the famous Tirupati 'laddu prasadam', the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has said sanctity of the sacred sweetmeat

Amid concerns among devotees on the quality of ghee used in the famous Tirupati 'laddu prasadam', the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has said sanctity of the sacred sweetmeat has been restored.

Citing a lab report on Friday, the TTD stated that there was presence of "lard" (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee.

Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has stirred a hornet’s nest by alleging adulteration of the ghee used in making the laddu prasadam of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala Hills in Tirupati district.

Amid ongoing controversy over the alleged use of animal fat in Prasadam given at the Tirupati temple, dairy giant Amul on Friday (20 September) clarified that it had never supplied ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).

Amul denies supplying ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam amid concerns over laddu quality, assures purity of their product.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu kicked up a row recently, accusing the previous regime of using poor quality ingredients and ghee adulterated with animal fat for producing the sweet

The temple management has revealed it had discovered sub-standard ghee, including the presence of lard, during quality testing. This disclosure followed allegations raised by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu two days prior.

The signature Tiru laddu, which now has a GI tag, has been offered to Lord Venkateswara and distributed to devotees since 1715.