Amul denies ghee supply to Tirupati Temple Amid ‘Animal Fat in Laddoo’ Controversy
Indian dairy giant Amul has recently issued a clarification stating that it never supplied ghee to the famous Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). This move has come in the wake of a controversy that alleged the use of animal fat and substandard ingredients in the preparation of the renowned Tirupati laddoo. The issue has fuelled much controversy among the devotees and stakeholders who care about the ingredients of prasad. By disowning any connection to the issue, Amul cleared its hands of the controversy and reaffirmed the quality of its ghee products.
The Origins of the Controversy
Somewhere, reports began doing the rounds on social media that low-grade inputs, including animal fat, were being used to make laddoos. A laddoo is a sacrosanct prasad offered to devotees at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. Hence, any allegations of impurity in preparation sent shockwaves amidst devotees and citizens at large.
As TTD had responded by denying all these allegations, the row gone high, with few netizens passing critical comments against Amul also for stating that ghee in laddoo came from the dairy brand. To this extent, Amul has put out an issue clarifying the brand has not supplied ghee to TTD at all.
Amul’s Statement: No Ghee Supplied to TTD
When rumors started circulating, within the very first instance, Amul, which is a GCMMF product, issued an instant statement on social media. The brand said that Amul never supplied ghee to TTD and thus these baseless rumors against them.
Amul stated, “This in reference to some social media posts mentioning that Amul Ghee was being supplied to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). We would like to clarify that we have never supplied Amul Ghee to TTD.”.
In fact, the company also took this opportunity to reaffirm the quality and purity of its ghee. “We also wish to clarify that Amul Ghee is prepared from milk at our state-of-the-art production facilities, which are ISO certified. Amul Ghee is prepared from high-quality pure milk fat. The milk received at our dairies passes through stringent quality checks, including adulteration detection as specified by FSSAI,” the statement read.
Amul’s Focus on Quality and Safety Standards
Not only did the statement deny any link to the Tirupati laddoo controversy but also underlined the brand’s focus on quality and safety standards. According to the company’s statement, Amul Ghee comes only in the form of high-quality milk fat and thereby ensuring its purity and genuineness for consumption. The production facilities are ISO certified that make sure the company adhere to the toughest international standards of quality management and safety.
In addition, Amul pointed out that every drop of milk received at the dairies is tested for quality with adulteration tests undertaken as issued by the FSSAI. That will assure the consumers that Amul products-ghee also-not contaminated.
Response from TTD
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the managing organization for Tirupati temple has also spoken to the controversy: the claims of using fat of animals in the preparation of these laddoos are sheer baseless. TTD claims that the ghee used to prepare the laddoos comes from reputable suppliers, and the constituents used to prepare them maintain the highest levels of purity and quality.
TTD officials have asked the devotees to not believe in rumors and have assured them that laddoos are prepared with utmost care and in strict accordance with traditional practices. However, the temple trust did not make public the names of the ghee supplier of the laddoos, which only added fuel to the fire of the already controversial surrounding news.
The Cultural and Religious Significance of Tirupati Ladoo
While being nothing but a food, the Tirupati laddoo is truly an act of divine offering, steeped in traditions of rituals performed in Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. Every year, millions of devotees cross over India and the world to visit the temple, and the laddoo is received as prasad, turning it into one of the most widely distributed religious offerings in the country.
Due to the laddoo’s importance, any complaint of contamination in its preparation attracts stern reactions from devotees. The controversy about the use of animal fat in the laddoo preparation thus led to several discontentments in the minds of devotees who relied on laddoo as a symbol of devotion to Lord Venkateswara.
Social Media and the Dissemination of the False Information
It has been social media that has circulated the allegations very widely, with quite a few users posting claims about the ingredients used in laddoo that is unverified. The viral nature of these posts has confused many devotees and provoked many across the Internet.
The response by Amul to the controversy highlights the uphill task that brands face in this age of social media whereby falsehood can spread at such a lightning speed. In its clear statement, Amul sought protection of its reputation and reassured its customers of the quality and safety of its products.
Conclusion: A Clarification Amidst Controversy
It had indeed become the common practice for some to crib over the alleged use of animal fat in Tirupati s. However, on its part, Amul and TTD have denied doing anything wrong. An account was made by Amulladdoo that it never supplied ghee to TTD and its products being pure and quality-based have somewhat calmed some of the whispering of the controversy at large.
As TTD digs further into the matter, here is the relief that devotees can take away – both the temple trust and Amul assure to deliver quality products meant for the preparation of religious offerings. With an era of easy circulation of misinformation around, timely clarifications by such trust brands as Amul play a great role in maintaining consumer trust.
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