Food adulteration: Here are the 10 most adulterated food items in India and methods to check their purity

Team Udayavani, Mar 17, 2020, 3:14 PM IST

Food adulteration is one of the serious challenges in the Indian society. Food adulteration is a process of reducing the quality of food items by either adding harmful substances in them or subtracting valuable substances from them. Traders and manufacturers all over the world indulge in such activities to exploit gullible consumers to make quick and easy money.

The Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for 2014-15 brought out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) says that of the 49,290 samples of food items it tested, 8,469, nearly one-fifth, were found adulterated or misbranded.

Here is the list of most adulterated food items in India and methods to check their purity

Milk

A study conducted by the FSSAI in across 33 states in 2012 found that milk is the most adulterated item in India with various adulterants.

Some of the adulterants that are used in milk are water, chalk, urea, caustic soda and skimmed milk, while Khoya is adulterated with paper, refined oil and skimmed milk powder.

How to check purity:

Put a drop of milk on a slope, if it flows down with a white spot behind, then it is pure milk. Else, it contains water.

Mix 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of water in a bottle and shake well. If you see foam or lather, it contains detergent.

Boil the milk and if you see a yellowish lather on top of it, then it is synthetic milk.

Tea leaves

Tea leaves are usually adulterated with same coloured leaves, some might not even be edible.

How to check purity:

Rub leaves on white paper, artificial colour comes out on paper.

If there are iron fillings, move a magnet through the sample. Iron will stick to the magnet.

Honey

Honey is commonly adulterated with molasses sugar to increase the bottle quantity.

How to check purity:

Dip a cotton ball in honey and burn it. If it burns instantly, then it is pure honey, else it’s not.

In a glass of water, put one tablespoon of honey, if it settles down in the glass then it is pure. If it dissolves quickly, it is adulterated.

Turmeric Powder

Turmeric powder is usually adulterated with harmful colours and chalk powders.

How to check purity:

Add one teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of warm water. Don’t shake or stir. If the powder settles at the bottom after 20 minutes, it is pure. If it gets dissolved, then it can be adulterated.

Ghee

Ghee is usually adulterated with vegetable oil, starch and vanaspati.

How to check purity:

Melt a tablespoon of ghee and pour in a glass jar and refrigerate till it becomes solid. If the layers are separated, then the ghee is impure.

Add a pinch of sugar to a teaspoon of melted ghee in a bottle. Shake well. Check it after 5 minutes, if you see the colour change to red, then it contains vegetable oil.

Pulses

Artificial colours are added to the pulses to give it a shine and rich colour.

How to check purity:

Grind some pulses to get a powdery texture. Add warm water to it, if you see a bright yellow colour, then it can be artificial colour.

Cumin seeds

Cumin seeds are mixed with grass seeds coloured with charcoal

How to check purity:

Rub the cumin seeds on your palm. If palm turns black, it indicates adulteration.

Red Chilli Powder

Red Chilli powder is mixed with artificial colours and brick powder

How to check purity:

Add a tablespoon of red chilli powder in a glass of water. Stir well. If the particles have settled down, it can be brick powder and if you see the colour of the water change to bright red, then it can be artificial colours.

Salt

Salt is usually mixed with chalk powder

How to check purity:

Mix a tablespoon of salt in a glass of water, if the water turns white in colour and some particles settle at the bottom, then it is chalk powder.

Ice cream

Ice cream is adulterated with Washing powder and other harmful substances.

How to check purity:

Put some lemon juice, bubbles are observed if washing powder is present