FSSAI issues show cause notice to ghee supplier for Tirupati temple over adulteration allegations
A R Dairy, a supplier of ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, has been asked to respond to claims that its ghee failed safety standards or face licence suspension.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has sent a show cause notice to A R Dairy, a Tamil Nadu-based ghee supplier for the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, following allegations of product adulteration.
The apex food safety regulator is questioning why the company's licence should not be suspended after a ghee sample from the company allegedly failed to meet the required safety standards.
According to the notice, samples of ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple, were sent to the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food in Gujarat for testing. One of the four ghee samples analysed reportedly failed to meet the quality parameters, raising concerns over adulterations, with accusations that the product was mixed with animal fat.
A R Dairy has denied the allegations, maintaining that their product adheres to all necessary standards.
However, the FSSAI has blacklisted the company and has demanded that it file a response by Monday. "Failing which suitable action will be initiated as per Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and regulations made thereunder," the notice warned.
The company holds a central licence valid until June 2029 but could face suspension if they fail to provide a satisfactory response.
The controversy has shaken the TTD, with temple authorities performing rituals on Monday at the ghee storage tanks, kitchen areas, and trays used to carry the famed laddoo offerings to the deity, as a symbolic cleansing.
