'E-tongue' & 'e-nose' devices to test Tirupati laddu's ghee quality at new cutting-edge lab, says Andhra minister

The laboratory, nearly 90% complete, will start operations next month, with the e-tongue and e-nose machines arriving by May this year. The systems can detect even minute quality variations and adulteration in ghee.

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday said the government will procure 'e-Tongue' and 'e-Nose' machines to instantly detect any quality drop in ghee supplied to Lord Venkateswara's temple in Tirumala. The decision comes amid the ongoing row over large-scale adulteration of cow ghee used by TTD to make the revered laddu prasadam. These devices, imported from France at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, will be installed in a new Rs 25 crore state-of-the-art food laboratory under construction in Tirumala.

The laboratory, nearly 90% complete, will start operations next month, with the e-tongue and e-nose machines arriving by May this year. It addresses past issues of adulterated ghee supplies, Satya Kumar Yadav said on Monday.

The facility will comprehensively test about 60 raw materials used in Tirumala prasadam preparation, such as ghee, cashews, raisins, almonds, chickpeas, sugar, cardamom, turmeric, and chilli. It will also analyse TTD water samples using 50 specialised instruments for microbiology, chemistry, and sensory evaluation.

Located in a 12,000 sq ft two-storey building at Tirumala's flour mill premises, construction began in July last year. The Health Department and TTD will jointly deploy 40 staff to manage operations. The project follows a 2024 FSSAI agreement, with Rs 23 crore sanctioned.

The e-Tongue and e-Nose systems can detect even minute quality variations and adulteration in ghee. According to Yadav, the E-Tongue system, being procured from France, is capable of detecting even micro-level deterioration in ghee and other raw materials by analysing taste patterns with high precision.

Likewise, the E-Nose system functions by assessing aroma profiles, enabling authorities to identify adulteration and quality defects in ghee and other ingredients used in preparing prasadam.

Currently, only a limited number of laboratories across the country have these facilities. However, for the first time in Andhra Pradesh, an ultra-modern lab with advanced facilities is coming up in a pilgrim centre, he added.

On the state's request, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sanctioned Rs 23 crore in an earlier occasion to establish this cutting edge lab. An agreement between the State Health Department and FSSAI was signed in New Delhi on October 8, 2024.