State-of-the-Art Food Lab Coming to Tirumala
Tirumala is getting a super high-tech food laboratory to keep temple offerings safe. The lab will use advanced equipment to check for tiny impurities in prasads and other food served to devotees. Both state and central governments teamed up to make this happen.
What’s This Lab For?
The main job? Spotting sneaky adulteration—like fake ingredients mixed into ghee or spices. The lab will test 60+ raw materials used in Tirumala’s kitchens, including ghee, nuts, sugar, and spices. With machines that detect pesticide traces, heavy metals, or bugs, they’ll make sure everything is pure before it reaches you.
Cool Tech Alert: E-Tongue & E-Nose
Meet the lab’s VIP machines straight from France! The e-tongue tastes like a human mouth, while the e-nose sniffs like a super-sensitive nose. Together, they can catch even microscopic problems in ghee—super important after past quality scares. Only a few labs in India have this gear!
Special Delivery
These French体质 gadgets cost ₹3.5 million and need special gas bottles also imported from France. Expect them to be fully operational by May.
Lab Setup & Timeline
The facility is 90% ready inside a renovated two-story building at Tirumala’s Pindimill. After final touches, most services launch next month. It cost ₹25 million to build, with another ₹23 million funded by India’s Food Safety Authority.
Who Made It Happen?
State Minister Satyakumar pushed for the lab, working with Central Government contacts. Chief Minister Chandrababu Babu backed the project too. Their teamwork fast-tracked everything from funding approvals to tech imports.
Inside the Lab
Scientists will work in three sections:
Microbiology & Chemistry
Checking for bacteria or chemical nasties in water, prasads, and ingredients.
Sensory Department
Using those futuristic e-tongue/e-nose combos to taste and smell samples.
Over 50 machines will run tests, managed by 40 staff from health and temple departments.
Why It Matters
No more worries about adulterated temple food! This lab is Tirumala’s quality guardian—making sure every bite devotees get is safe, pure, and blessed.
