- A controversy emerged regarding the quality of ghee used by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for offerings (naivedyam) and laddu prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara temple, as reports suggested the presence of foreign fats in the ghee.
- Ghee Quality Analysis: The National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) found that the ghee used by TTD contained foreign fats like fish oil, beef tallow, and lard, along with various vegetable oils.
- The findings were based on the “S-values” analysis for Milk Fat Purity, where all five values fell outside the ISO-prescribed limits, indicating the presence of foreign fats.
- Potential Contamination Factors: The NDDB report also mentioned possible factors that could lead to false positives in such tests, including underfeeding or overfeeding cows with feeds rich in vegetable oils and milk obtained from colostrum.
- Test Methodology: The compliance with ISO standards (ISO 17678:2019) for milk fat integrity is examined using gas chromatographic analysis of triglycerides, which was conducted by CALF and reported to the TTD’s Water and Food Analysis Lab in July 2024.
Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) NDDB established a multi-disciplinary laboratory i.e. Centre of Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food at Anand in 2009 for reliable and efficient analytical services for the livestock sector. Analysis of dairy products for compositional analysis, fat-soluble & B-complex vitamins, fatty acids, cholesterol, sugar profile and minerals of nutritional importance. The samples are also analysed for contaminants and toxicant like pesticide residues, melamine, heavy metals, pathogens, drug residue, adulterants and aflatoxin M1, B1, G1, B2 and G2. Analysis of cattle feed and its ingredients for proximate analysis, aflatoxin B1, mineral elements, amino acids and vitamins. Testing for mineral elements and heavy metals. Parentage verification, genetic disorder detection, and chromosomal abnormality analysis for cattle and buffaloes. |
Dig Deeper: Read about ISO 17678: 2019 standards- Milk and milk products Determination of milk fat purity by gas chromatographic analysis of triglycerides.