CM INAUGURATES STATE-OF-THE-ART FOOD ANALYSIS LAB _ తిరుమలలో అత్యాధునిక ఫుడ్ అనాలిసిస్ ల్యాబ్‌ను ప్రారంభించిన సీఎం

Tirumala, 21 March 2026: The Honourable CM of Andhra Pradesh Sri N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday inaugurated the sophisticated and advanced Food Analysis Lab in Tirumala, the first of its kind temple-proximate lab in the country, for TTD set at a cost of Rs.25cr.

The CM thoroughly observed the 50 plus equipments located in Lab. 

FSSAI Executive Director Sri Panda from New Delhi, CFTRI Director Sri Giridhar explained the CM about the functioning of each equipment.

TTD’s Water and Food Analysis Laboratory in Tirumala ensures safe water and food for pilgrims by testing samples from various sources. 

Lab Expansion:

Funded by FSSAI and AP Govt (₹25Cr for core lab, ₹3.5 Cr for e-Tongue/e-Nose, ₹1.10 Cr for power setup), the new 12,000 sq ft State Food Laboratory dedicates 6,000 sq ft each to chemical and microbiological analysis. 

Advanced Equipment (New Lab)GC/GC-MS to test Fatty acids, pesticides, volatiles;

HPLC/LC-MS to test Mycotoxins, drugs, additives; AAS/ICP-MS to test heavy metals in foods/water.

Other equipment includes Fibre/protein/fat analyzers, butyro refractometer, UV-Vis spectrophotometer.

Key Operations :

Tests raw materials for Srivari Prasadam and Annaprasadam, prepared items like laddus.

Conducts tests on 1,000-1,500 samples every month.

TTD Chairman Sri BR Naidu, EO Sri M Ravichandra, Additional EO Sri Ch Venkaiah Chowdary, board members, JEOs Sri Veerabrahmam, Dr Sharat, CVSO Sri Muralikrishna, DyEO Health Sri Somannarayana and others were present.

ISSUED BY THE TTD CHIEF PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TIRUPATI

HIGHLIGHTS OF STATE OF ART FOOD LABORATORY

Tirumala, 21 March 2026: The Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Sri N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the State-of-the-Art Food Laboratory at Tirumala, marking a significant milestone in strengthening food and water safety systems for the millions of devotees visiting the sacred shrine of Lord Venkateswara.

This modern facility represents a major technological leap from the basic food testing laboratory first established in May 1981.

The new laboratory is now equipped with advanced analytical capabilities and precision instrumentation, transforming it into a high-end centre for food safety and analytical science under the aegis of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

Designed as per National Food Safety norms the laboratory in accordance with the standards and testing protocols prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), plays a crucial role in ensuring the sanctity, purity, and safety of Srivari Prasadams, which are consumed by devotees from across the globe.

The facility serves as the core analytical hub supporting six major operational divisions of TTD including Jalaprasadams, Annaprasadams, Pottu, General procurement and ware house department and pooja items.

Modern Infrastructure and Layout

The laboratory has been rebuilt within a 12,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, with dedicated functional zoning:

• Ground Floor: Chemical and Physical Analysis 

• First Floor: Microbiological Testing and sterile laboratory operations 

This segregation ensures contamination-free testing, improved workflow, and compliance with national laboratory design norms.

Ultra-Sensitive Detection Capabilities

The new facility marks a major upgrade in analytical sensitivity:

• Heavy metals detection: from Parts Per Million (PPM) to Parts Per Trillion (PPT) 

• Pesticide residue and toxin analysis: from PPM to Parts Per Billion (PPB) detection and quantification 

• Food Colors and preservatives : parts per million levels

High Sample

Throughput and Wide Testing Coverage

the laboratory has the capacity to analyze 1,000 to 1,500 samples per month, covering more than 60 categories of raw materials including:

• Ghee, edible oils, milk and dairy products 

• Rice, pulses, cereals, flours and semolina products 

• Dry fruits, spices, condiments and herbal materials 

• Tea, coffee, honey, processed foods, and packaged products.

This extensive coverage ensures that every ingredient used in the preparation of Srivari Prasadams and Annaprasadams is scientifically verified for quality and safety before use.

Commodities: 

Cow Ghee, Sugar, Diamond Sugar Candy, Cane Jaggery, Refined Sunflower oil, Gingelly oil, Bengal Gram dhal, Fried Bengal Gram Dhal, Toor Dhal, Black Gram Dhal (with husk) Black Gram Dhal (without husk), Green Gram Dhal, Milled Rice, Milled Parboiled Rice, Idli Rawa, Goduma Rawa, White Chana, Atta, Maida, Tamarind (seedless), cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, corainder whole, dry chillies, chilly powder, ground nut seeds, cashews splits, cashew whole, raisins, almond kernels, cardamom, black pepper,  compounded asafoetida, cinnamon stick, dry ginger, dil seeds, nutmeg, tea dust, tea dips, instant coffee powder, honey, coconuts, cornflakes, areca nuts(betel nuts) desiccated coconut, badam powder, flattened rice, roasted vermicelli, butter milk, appalams, biscuits, pickles etc.).

Integrated Chemical Testing Divisions

The chemical laboratory has been structured into specialized sections:

1. Quality Control Laboratory – Nutritional evaluation of prepared foods 

2. Raw Material Quality Assurance Unit – Screening of procured ingredients 

3. Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility – Advanced contaminant detection and profiling 

4. Sample Preparation and Extraction Unit – Automated and standardized sample handling

5. Advanced Microbiological Testing- 

For Hygenic critieria, Aerobic Plate count, Yeast & Mold, Enterobacteriaceae and Safety criteria- Salmonella spp, Listeria Moncytogenes, E. Coli 0157 and Vero or Shiga toxin producing E coli , Vibrio etc.

Advanced Analytical Instrumentation:

The laboratory is equipped with world-class analytical systems, including:

• Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) – for volatile compounds, pesticide residues, and fatty acid profiling of ghee 

• Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionisation detector for triacylglycerol profiling and detection of adulteration in milk fat 

• High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC-PDA/FLD)  for vitamins, amino acids, synthetic food colours, preservatives, and aflatoxins 

• Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) – for ultra-trace detection of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, tin, and antimony up to PPT levels 

• Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Flame and Graphite Furnace) – for mineral analysis across ppm to ppb range 

• Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) for pesticide residues, veterinary drugs, antibiotics, and mycotoxins 

• UV-Visible Spectrophotometer – for ionic analysis in water and assessment of storage-related quality deterioration in cereals and pulses 

• Rapid detection kits for aflatoxins on site will also be implemented.

Daily Nutritional and Quality Monitoring of Prasadams:

In alignment with the objectives of good health and well-being, the laboratory performs routine  macronutrient analysis where nutritional evaluation of Annaprasadams and Srivari Prasadams on a daily basis. 

Parameters monitored include:

• Carbohydrates 

• Protein 

• Fat 

• Crude fibre 

• Moisture 

• Calorific value 

This enables real-time quality control, batch consistency, and nutritional assurance for food served to millions of devotees every day.

Strengthening devotee Safety and Public Trust:

The establishment of this advanced State Food Laboratory underscores TTD’s commitment to:

• scientific food safety governance 

• transparency in procurement and preparation 

• and the highest standards of purity in temple offerings 

The facility is expected to serve as a model institutional laboratory for large-scale religious and public food service systems in India.

Advantages and Public Health Impact:

These technological advancements enable the detection of even microscopic levels of contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticide residues, and mycotoxins. Such high-sensitivity analysis strengthens consumer protection and ensures full compliance with national food safety regulations, including the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, and the Food Category System established by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). 

This ensures that all food materials and offerings meet stringent national safety and quality benchmarks and good health and well being. 

This enables a robust and continuous quality control system, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency, real-time monitoring of prepared foods, and assured nutritional quality for the millions of devotees served every day. 

This laboratory is sustainable model and reduces the need to send samples to external laboratory testing, ensuring real-time quality clearance before any raw material enters the temple kitchen and provide quality and safety assurance to all.

“Quality is the right of the consumer and the duty of the producer”. 

The establishment of this laboratory strengthens quality control, quality assurance, and safety assurance systems, thereby serving as a vital bridge between suppliers and consumers in ensuring safe and wholesome food for the devotees of TTD.

ISSUED BY THE TTD CHIEF PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TIRUPATI