Tirupati laddu row: AR Dairy of Dindigul gets more time to respond
A Gujarat-based lab in a report said samples of ghee used for making Tirupati laddus contained beef tallow, fish oil, palm oil and pig fat and resultantly, the Dindigul-based dairy firm was blacklisted by the Devasthanam
MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to issue supplementary notice and grant time to AR Dairy Food, Dindigul, to respond to it in the case relating to the supply of ghee used for making Tirupati laddus.
The Bench also questioned the Union Health Ministry on whether there was any violation on the part of the Dindigul-based firm, which had approached the court challenging the show cause notice issued by the FSSAI.
The petitioner stated that only after assessing the quality, ghee was sent to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Andhra Pradesh, as per agreement.
A Gujarat-based lab in a report said samples of ghee used for making Tirupati laddus contained beef tallow, fish oil, palm oil and pig fat and resultantly, the Dindigul-based dairy firm was blacklisted by the Devasthanam.
Justice N Sathish Kumar, hearing the plea, questioned the FSSAI on which law and on what basis the show cause notice was issued. Two show-cause notices were served, but it is clear that the allegations were not substantiated. Moreover, the show cause notice was issued on September 29 seeking an explanation on October 2, a declared holiday.
Also, the findings of the Gujarat lab seemed contradictory to a report sent by a government lab in Chennai. Further, the judge said adequate time should be given to respond to the notice.
