Amul highlights purity of its ghee in Hindustan Times print ad amid Tirupati 'prasadam' controversy

In what appears to be an image makeover exercise, India’s leading dairy brand Amul has come out with a full-page print ad in Hindustan Times, highlighting the purity and quality of its ghee.

The ad outlines the rigorous quality checks, including Gas Chromatography (GC) testing, that Amul ghee undergoes to ensure its high standards. It also showcases the brand's various types of ghee and their culinary uses, with regional food names provided for local relevance.

The ad comes after certain social media posts allegedly linked Amul to the supply of ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh. In response to these claims, Amul has strongly denied ever supplying ghee that is used in preparing prasadam to be distributed among the devotees.

The dairy brand has filed an FIR against several social media users for allegedly spreading misinformation about the brand. The FIR was registered at the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police Station, with the Times of India reporting that cases have been filed against seven users of the social media platform 'X'.

The controversy began after some social media users claimed that TTD had switched its ghee supplier from Nandini to Amul in recent years. However, Amul has firmly refuted these claims. Nandini’s producer, Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), also clarified that it stopped supplying ghee to TTD four years ago due to pricing disputes.

Previously, Amul addressed the rumours on X, saying, "This is in reference to some social media posts mentioning that Amul Ghee was being supplied to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). We wish to inform you that we have never supplied Amul Ghee to TTD."

Amul also emphasised that its ghee is made from pure milk and undergoes rigorous quality checks, including tests for adulteration, as mandated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The controversy surfaced on September 18 when Andhra Pradesh chief minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, accused the previous government, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, of using animal fat in the preparation of the sacred Tirupati laddoos.

Adding fuel to the claims, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy alleged that a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory confirmed the presence of beef tallow, lard, and fish oil in the ghee samples used by TTD, citing a report during a press conference. The report was dated July 16.

In response, senior YSRCP leader Y.V. Subba Reddy filed a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking a thorough investigation into the alleged use of animal fat in the laddoos during the YSRCP regime. The High Court is set to hear the case on September 25.