E-tongue, e-nose lab to test ghee quality in Tirumala soon: Andhra Health min

Amid controversies over the quality of ghee being supplied to TTD, the temple body is set to deploy a modern food testing laboratory equipped with advanced electronic systems such as an ''e-tongue'' and ''e-nose'' to ensure stringent quality checks and maintain transparency in supplies. Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has said the ultra-modern laboratory is being established at a cost of Rs 25 crore and is nearing completion. ''E-Tongue and E-Nose ultra modern food laboratory services can detect even micro-level quality deterioration in ghee, these labs will soon be made available in Tirumala,'' said Yadav in an official press release. He said that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has sanctioned Rs 23 crore for the project, and an agreement was signed in New Delhi on October 8, 2024. The minister noted that while the main laboratory will commence operations next month, procurement and installation of the E-Tongue and E-Nose systems may take time until May before they are made fully operational. The laboratory will carry out sample testing under microbiology, chemistry and sensory divisions, examining 'prasadam', food items, water and all raw materials used in preparation, he said. Samples will be screened for pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbes and antibiotics, while the facility will have around 50 advanced instruments capable of detecting nearly 200 pesticide residues. Just as humans detect smell and taste through nose and tongue, these systems analyse aroma and flavour profiles of prasadam (consecrated food items) and raw materials, said the press release. Following the adulterated ghee issue in Tirumala, the Centre sanctioned an additional Rs 3.5 crore, he said, adding that specialised gas cylinders for the machines will be imported from France. 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, the release said. However, for the first time in Andhra Pradesh, an ultra-modern lab with advanced facilities is coming up in a pilgrim centre, it added The facility is 90 per cent complete and will begin operations next month, he said, adding that the labs will test around 60 raw materials used in preparing laddu prasadam , including ghee and dry fruits. He added that around 40 personnel in various cadres will be deployed jointly by the Health Department and the TTD to manage the facility, and a separate agreement on operations will be signed soon. An old two-storied building measuring about 12,000 square feet in the flour mill premises at Tirumala has been converted into the laboratory, with works commencing in July last year. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is the official custodian of Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, the richest Hindu shrine in the world.