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A one-man fee has discovered that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams procured over 70 lakh kg of ghee without necessary quality checks, enabling alleged adulteration.
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A one-man fee constituted by the Andhra Pradesh authorities on Saturday revealed that the TTD procured over 70 lakh kg of ghee for use in getting ready the well-known Tirupati laddus, without the necessary quality checks.
The report submitted by the fee claimed that this systemic failure allowed suppliers to supply adulterated ghee, as officers allegedly ignored security checks and suppressed lab stories confirming the presence of vegetable fat.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu appointed a one-man fee headed by retired IAS officer Dinesh Kumar to probe the availability of alleged adulterated ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), after the Supreme Court-appointed SIT submitted its report.
“TTD officials initially planned to incorporate mandatory FSSAI β-Sitosterol testing (effective July 1, 2022) but reversed the decision, granting suppliers an exemption, leading to procurement of 70 lakh plus kgs of ghee without the legally required quality check,” mentioned Kumar in his report.
The report recognized systemic administrative failures as the basis trigger, particularly within the enforcement of tender guidelines and famous that vital safeguards meant to make sure quality have been step by step eroded.
Critical lab stories confirming adulteration have been allegedly suppressed, whereas procurement choices have been taken without full oversight, undermining due course of, it added.
The panel additionally discovered that procurement committee members allegedly relaxed tender norms without the complete committee or convener, allowed post-bid value reductions after reverse auctions and accepted abnormally low bids without scrutiny to acquire ghee.
It highlighted that eligibility norms launched in August 2019 have been allegedly diluted inside months without evaluation, permitting non-compliant companies akin to Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk Pvt Ltd to enter provide chain regardless of missing verifiable manufacturing capability.
According to the report, a Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) lab take a look at on August 3, 2022, confirmed adulteration with vegetable oils by way of β-Sitosterol presence, but the findings have been allegedly suppressed and companies weren’t blacklisted below tender situations.
Mandatory FSSAI β-Sitosterol testing norms have been initially deliberate however later scrapped, enabling procurement of over 70 lakh kilograms of ghee without testing.
The fee famous that suppliers resorted to steep value cuts as much as Rs 207 per kg ghee and alleged unlawful post-auction negotiations, whereas contracts have been awarded to ineligible companies with over-reliance on L1 (lowest bid) pricing, incentivising adulteration.
It additionally flagged that TTD’s laboratory lacked alleged gear for real-time adulteration testing and that its improve, deemed obligatory after the incident, was delayed by practically three years.
The report pointed to overlapping membership in technical analysis and plant inspection committees, compromising unbiased oversight, whereas complaints and quality monitoring programs have been allegedly largely ignored.
Investigation into particular distributors revealed that Bhole Baba Organic Dairy continued provides even after disqualification and opposed lab stories, allegedly utilizing artificial components akin to Beta-Carotene, Acetic Acid Ester and synthetic flavouring brokers to bypass checks and routing provides by way of middleman dairies.
Premier Agri Foods Pvt Ltd, one of many largest suppliers, continued receiving recent orders regardless of confirmed adulteration, whereas being granted exemptions from FSSAI testing norms, mentioned the one man fee report.
AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd submitted inflated manufacturing and certification data and failed unbiased laboratory checks, but remained a part of the availability chain, reflecting weak enforcement, mentioned Kumar in his report.
The fee held the TTD Board, buy committee and senior officers and dairy specialists liable for governance failures, procedural lapses and continued procurement from non-compliant distributors.
Published on May 2, 2026
