Q:-Identify food adulteration using common quick test

at household level; using visual and chemical methods.

Long supply chains and grocery stores selling loose ingredients make it impossible
to track where the food comes from or what sub-standard material is mixed in it.
However, there is help at hand.

Here are some quick and easy-to-perform tests that can reveal the
presence of common adulterants in your kitchen cabinet.

1. Spices

With the ability to transform any dish, spices are indispensable for every Indian
kitchen. Distressingly, powdered spices available in the market are often
contaminated with artificial colours and bulking agents (like chalk powder) that
have serious health implications for consumers.

 Turmeric Powder

Adulterant: Metanil yellow, lead chromate, chalk powder

Test: Take some turmeric powder in a transparent glass and add a few drops of
water and concentrated hydrochloric acid to it. Next, shake it vigorously. A pink
colour to the mixture indicates the presence of metanil yellow. If the mixture
releases small bubbles, it indicates the presence of chalk powder.

To detect the presence of lead chromate, mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with
water. If adulterated, it will immediately leak streaks of water-soluble colour.

One of the easiest ways to check adulteration is to add a teaspoon of turmeric to a

glass of warm water. Do not stir it and leave it still for a while. Check after about
20 minutes. If the powder settles down at the bottom of the glass with clear water
above, the turmeric is pure. Cloudy water indicates possible adulteration.

 Red Chilli Powder

Adulterant: Artificial colour, brick powder

Test: Add a teaspoon of chilli powder to a glass of water and stir it. A swirl of
bright red colour indicates the presence of artificial colour while the settling of
gritty sediment at the bottom of glass indicates the presence of saw dust/brick
powder.

 Coriander Powder

Adulterant: Husk

Test: Add a teaspoon of cumin powder to a glass of water and stir.The husk will
immediately start floating on the surface while the pure spice will settle at the
bottom of the glass.

 Cumin Seeds/Powder

Adulterant: Grass seeds coloured with charcoal dust, saw dust, starch

Test: Add a teaspoon of cumin powder to a glass of water and let it stay still for a
few minutes.The adulterants will float on the surface while the pure spice will
settle at the bottom of the glass.

Cumin seeds, on the other hands, are often mixed with grass seeds coated with
charcoal dust. Rub the cumin seeds vigorously with your palms. If your palms turn
black, it indicates adulteration.

 Black Pepper
Adulterant: Papaya seeds

Test: Add a few pepper corns to a bowl of alcohol. The papaya seeds will sink
while the real corns will stay afloat.

 Mustard Seeds

Adulterant: Argemone seeds

Test: Crush or press a few seeds and check them. Argemone seeds have a rough
exterior and are white inside while mustard seeds have a smooth exterior and are
yellow on the inside.

2. Sugar

Adulterant: Chalk powder

Test: Stir in a spoonful of the salt in a glass of water for a few minutes. If the
solution turns white and the residue settles at the bottom, it indicates the presence
of chalk. A clear solution indicates purity.
3. Salt

Adulterant: chalk powder

Test: Stir in a spoonful of the salt in a glass of water. If the solution turns white and
a residue settles at the bottom, it indicates the presence of chalk. A clear solution
indicates purity.

4. Milk/Khoya/Condensed Milk
Adulterant: Starch, detergent

Test: Mix a small sample of the product with about 20 ml of water and bring to a
boil. Cool to room temperature in a transparent glass and add a drop or two of
iodine solution. A blue-coloured solution indicates the presence of starch.

Mix about 10 ml of a milk sample with an equal quantity of water and shake the
mixture vigorously. Milk adulterated with detergent will form a dense lather while
pure milk will have a thin layer of foam.

5. Butter/Ghee

Adulterant: Vanaspati, vegetable oil, starch

Test: Take a teaspoon of melted ghee/butter in the test tube or transparent

bottle. Add a pinch of sugar, close the container and give it a vigorous shake. Let it
stand for five minutes. If a red colour appears at the bottom of the vessel, then the
sample contains vegetable oil.
Melt a small quantity of the ghee/butter. Pour it into a glass jar and place in the
fridge till it solidifies. Presence of separate layers indicates the presence of other
oils.

Add a few drops of iodine to two teaspoons of molten ghee. Appearance of purple
colour indicates the presence of starch (like mashed potato).

6. Oil

 Mustard Oil

Adulterant: Argemone oil

Test: Take a small amount of mustard oil in a transparent glass and add a few
drops of nitric acid to it. Shake vigorously and heat the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
The appearance of red colour indicates the presence of argemone oil.

 Coconut Oil

Adulterant: Other Oils

Test: Take a sample of the coconut oil in a glass jar or bowl and place it in the
fridge for 30 minutes. If it’s pure, the entire sample will solidify. If the sample is
adulterated, the other oils will be seen as a separate layer.
7. Dal/Besan

Adulterant: Metanil Yellow

Test: Powder some dal with a pestle and mix a spoonful of it with lukewarm water.
The same can be done for besan. Add a few drops of hydrochloric acid to the
mixture. If it turns pink or purple, it indicates the presence of metanil yellow.
8. Tea

Adulterant: Used/processed tea leaves that have been artificially coloured

Test: Sprinkle a teaspoon of tea powder on a moist blotting paper. If the colour of
the blotting paper changes to something similar to yellow, orange or red, it
indicates the presence of artificial colour in the tea powder. Pure tea leaves release
colour only when they are added to hot water.

9. Honey

Adulterant: Glucose/sugar syrup, high fructose corn syrup

Test: Add a spoonful of honey to a glass of water. If the honey disperses
instantly, it indicates the presence of glucose/sugar syrup. Pure honey is denser and
will instead sink to the bottom instead of dissolving instantaneously.

Another test involves mixing a tablespoon of honey, a little water and about 2-3
drops of vinegar together. If the mixture results in foaming, it indicates possible
adulteration in the honey.

10. Green Peas, Green Chillies and Other Green

Vegetables

Adulterant: Malachite green

Test: Place a sample over a moistened white blotting paper. Green coloured
impressions on the blotting paper indicate the presence of malachite green.

Take a cotton piece soaked in liquid paraffin and rub the exterior of the sample. If
the cotton turns, green, it indicates the presence of the chemical dye.

Soak the sample in warm water for 30 minutes before rubbing it gently. If the
green colour leaks into water, it indicates the presence of malachite green.

TBI Tip: For more of such do-at-home tests, check out the booklet released by the
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), an autonomous body under
the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.