SV food lab to be upgraded for highquality laddu

TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams have decided to upgrade the SV Food and Analysis Lab for comprehensive checking of all ingredients used in the Tirupati laddu. The lab will also test other eatables sold to pilgrims in the temple town.
The TTD board have decided to recruit technical experts and procure ultramodern equipment for conducting tests and analyse food products to ensure there is no food adulteration of any kind in Tirumala. The existing lab had been set up in 1985 as per norms of the state government. The lab will also ensure that all ingredients purchased for preparation of Anna Prasadams including the laddu are of high quality and there is no contamination of water. "We will not only test and analyse the human intake but each and every purchase made by TTD right from broomstick to cement, phenol to cow ghee, rain water to stagnated water and others on a random basis,' said Bheeshmaiah Naidu, TTD health officer.In Tirumala, nearly a lakh of people are there on a given day. The TTD canteen alone supplies food for 50,000 people and others are dependent on other eateries including hotels. "The laddu is the most sought after prasadam and we should ensure its quality is not affected in any manner. Hence we will test the jaggery, sugar, dal and other ingredients before preparing the prasadam,' Naidu explained.