FSSAI Issues Notice to Ghee Supplier

Tirupati: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a show-cause notice to A.R. Dairy Foods Private Limited, based in Tamil Nadu, for allegedly supplying adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The ghee is used to prepare the Tirupati laddu.

The controversy arose after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous government, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, of using substandard ingredients, including ghee mixed with animal fats such as fish oil and beef tallow. TTD executive officer J. Syamala Rao confirmed that A.R. Dairy Foods had supplied the adulterated ghee.

FSSAI’s actions stem from reports by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Anand, Gujarat, which indicated that samples of ghee from A.R. Dairy Foods did not meet the required safety standards and contained foreign fats. A senior health ministry official stated, “The action was taken after four samples from A.R. Dairy Foods failed to meet food safety standards.”

The FSSAI notice specifically questions why A.R. Dairy Foods’ central licence should not be suspended under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011. According to the notice, the director of the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Mangalagiri reported that A.R. Dairy Foods has been supplying ghee to TTD for the past four years.

The notice also noted that the samples tested at the NDDB laboratory did not meet the required standards, leading TTD to blacklist the company. A.R. Dairy Foods has been instructed to provide an explanation by Monday regarding the potential suspension of its license. Failure to submit a satisfactory response may result in further legal action by the FSSAI.