Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu inaugurates food analysis laboratory in Tirumala

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday (March 21) inaugurated a state-of-the-art food analysis laboratory in Tirumala, marking a significant step towards strengthening food and water safety standards for millions of pilgrims visiting the hill shrine.

During his visit to the laboratory, he inspected over 50 advanced instruments installed in the facility while the officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Executive Director Panda and Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Director Giridhar, briefed him on the functioning and technical capabilities of the equipments. 

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Water and Food Analysis Laboratory ensures the  supply of safe drinking water and hygienic food to devotees. The facility routinely collects samples from multiple sources and conducts rigorous testing, including those used in the preparation of Srivari Prasadam and Anna Prasadam. Officials said the laboratory is equipped to analyse between 1,000 and 1,500 samples every month.

Spread across 12,000 square feet, the laboratory has been developed with financial support from the FSSAI and the State government. The core laboratory infrastructure was built at a cost of ₹25 crore, while an additional ₹3.5 crore was invested in electronic sensory systems such as ‘e-tongue’ and ‘e-nose’ technologies and ₹1.10 crore towards power infrastructure. The facility dedicates 6,000 square feet each to chemical and microbiological analysis.

The laboratory houses cutting-edge equipment including GC/GC-MS systems for analysing fatty acids, pesticides and volatile compounds; HPLC/LC-MS instruments for detecting mycotoxins, pharmaceuticals, additives and AAS/ICP-MS systems for identifying heavy metals in food and water. Additional equipment such as fibre, protein and fat analysers, butyrometers and UV-visible spectrophotometers further enhance its testing capabilities.

Minister Satyakumar Yadav, TTD Chairman B. R. Naidu, Executive Officer Muddada Ravichandra, Additional Executive Officer Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary and a couple of board members and senior officials were prominent among others present.