Heritage Foods denies ghee supply links to Tirumala Temple; threatens with defamation case

New Delhi: Heritage Foods on Friday strongly refuted allegations linking it to the controversial ghee supply to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam between 2014 and 2019, calling the claims baseless and defamatory and threatening legal action against those spreading what it termed "malicious lies".

The company's response follows allegations by YSR Congress Party leader B Karunakar Reddy and others, connecting Heritage Foods to Maharashtra's Indapur Dairy, which has been implicated in the ghee supply controversy.

"The false allegations... claiming that Heritage Foods supplied ghee to TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam) during 2014-2019 is a blatant lie, wholly defamatory, and only politically motivated," Heritage Foods Chief Operating Officer J Samba Murthy said in a statement.

He accused the YSRCP and its media arm, Sakshi Media Group, of deliberately propagating the claims.

The company clarified that Indapur Dairy is an independent entity with no ownership, management, or operational ties to Heritage Foods.

While Heritage has contract manufacturing arrangements with Indapur Dairy for paneer, cheese, skimmed milk powder, and UHT milk, it has "never had any contract" for ghee supply to TTD, Murthy said.

He also dismissed claims that five other dairies formed a "syndicate" with Heritage to supply ghee to the temple, calling it "a complete and total lie".

Heritage Foods said it is exploring legal action against "every individual and organisation involved in maligning" the company.

"We would be initiating a defamation case against every individual and organisation involved," Murthy confirmed.

The company, which has served the dairy sector for 33 years, maintains ISO 22001 certification and emphasises its commitment to quality assurance and food safety standards.