CM Naidu inaugurates Tirumala food analysis lab to boost pilgrim safety
CM Naidu inaugurates Tirumala food analysis lab to boost pilgrim safety
Chandrababu Naidu unveils a state-of-the-art Tirumala lab to ensure safe food and water for millions of pilgrims, with advanced instruments and e-sensing tech.
In Tirumala, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday inaugurated a state-of-the-art food analysis laboratory, a milestone in strengthening food and water safety for millions of pilgrims visiting the hill shrine. During the ceremony, he inspected more than 50 advanced instruments installed in the facility, as officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India briefed him on the lab’s capabilities. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Water and Food Analysis Laboratory is tasked with ensuring the supply of safe drinking water and hygienic food to devotees.
The lab routinely collects samples from multiple sources and conducts rigorous testing, including those used in the preparation of Srivari Prasadam and Anna Prasadam. Officials noted that the facility can analyze between 1,000 and 1,500 samples every month, spread across 12,000 square feet. The project was developed with financial support from the FSSAI and the State government. Core infrastructure cost ₹25 crore, with an additional ₹3.5 crore invested in electronic sensory systems such as the ‘e-tongue’ and ‘e-nose’, and ₹1.10 crore allocated for power infrastructure. The facility dedicates 6,000 square feet to chemical analyses and another 6,000 to microbiological work.
At the technical heart of the lab are cutting-edge tools including GC/GC-MS systems for fatty acids, pesticides and volatile compounds; HPLC/LC-MS instruments for detecting mycotoxins, pharmaceuticals, and 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. Officials stressed that the lab’s work will set new safety benchmarks for pilgrims and strengthen public health measures at a shrine that welcomes millions each year.
