Tech at the Temple: E-Nose and E-Tongue to Protect Tirumala Prasadam Quality

The Tirumala temple complex in Andhra Pradesh is set to deploy advanced e-nose and e-tongue technologies at a new ₹25 crore food testing laboratory. To monitor the quality of prasadam and ingredients like ghee, dry fruits and spices. The initiative follows concerns over adulterated ghee used in Tirumala laddus in 2024. Backed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the sensor-based systems aim to strengthen food safety through rapid, AI-driven analysis.

What Is an E-Nose?

An electronic nose (e-nose) is a sensor-based device designed to detect odours and volatile compounds released by food.

How It Works,

• Uses an array of gas sensors
• Detects volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Generates electrical signals
• Matches odour “fingerprints” using AI-based pattern recognition

Instead of identifying a single chemical, the e-nose analyses overall gas patterns to detect spoilage, fermentation changes or adulteration. It is widely used in dairy, edible oils and processed food industries.

What Is an E-Tongue?

An electronic tongue (e-tongue) evaluates liquids by analyzing taste-related chemical components.

Key Featuresm

• Uses multiple electrochemical sensors
• Detects dissolved substances responsible for sweet, salty, sour and bitter profiles
• Produces electrical response patterns
• Uses statistical and machine-learning models for classification

E-tongue systems are commonly used for testing oils, beverages and dairy products for quality consistency and adulteration.

Why Both Devices Are Used Together

Research on multisensor food analysis systems shows that combining e-nose and e-tongue provides more accurate results.

Device Detects

• E-Nose Volatile compounds (aroma, spoilage, contamination)
• E-Tongue Dissolved chemicals (taste, composition changes)

Together they will,

• Detect adulteration quickly
• Identify freshness variations
• Ensure flavor consistency
• Provide non-destructive testing

This combined approach enables faster screening compared to traditional laboratory methods.

Reason For Tirumala Temple Is Deploying This Technology

The move follows a 2024 controversy when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged adulterated ghee was used in preparing Tirumala laddus under the previous administration led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

A Special Investigation Team confirmed that the supplied ghee had been mixed with,

• Palm oil
• Palm kernel oil
• Beta-carotene
• Acetic acid esters
• Artificial ghee flavour

Following this, the government approved a modern lab to tighten monitoring of raw materials and finished prasadam.

How the Data Is Analyzed

Both e-nose and e-tongue rely on computational analysis.

Process,

• Sensor data converted into electrical signals
• Processed using statistical tools
• Classified using machine-learning models
• Compared against reference quality databases
• Advances in AI allow these systems to improve accuracy over time as they analyse new samples.

Benefits of E-Nose and E-Tongue in Food Safety

Traditional lab testing is time-consuming and requires manual handling. In temple settings, it may also conflict with ritual protocols.

The new systems offer,

• Rapid and automated testing
• Non-destructive analysis
• Reduced human intervention
• Early detection of anomalies
• Routine screening without affecting religious practices

However, officials clarify that these devices serve as early screening tools and do not replace full laboratory testing.

Question

Q. The e-nose technology primarily detects which component in food testing?

A) Dissolved salts
B) Volatile organic compounds
C) Proteins
D) Heavy metals