Investigatory Project On

’Food Adulteration’

By: -
Siddharth Sinha

—
Chemistry Grade - XII
—
Teacher – Mr. Kumar Karunesh
 Certificate

This is to certify that Siddharth Sinha of

Grade – XII ‘A’, The Tribhuvan School, Patna has completed the project
titled ‘Food Adulteration’ during the academic year 2022-23 towards partial
fulfilment of the chemistry practical examination conducted by CBSE, New
Delhi & submitted satisfactory report as compiled in the following pages,
under my supervision.

Mr. Kumar Karunesh Mrs. Mahua Das Gupta

PGT Chemistry Principal
_________________ _________________
External

_________________

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 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my

teacher Mr. Kumar Karunesh who gave me the excellent
opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic ‘Food
Adulteration’, which also helped me in doing a lot of
Research and I came to know about so many new things.

Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends

who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the
limited time frame.

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 FOOD
ADULTERATION

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 INDEX
1. Objective

2. Introduction

3. Theory

4. Punishment for Food Adulteration

5. Different Chemical tests for the Detection of

Adulterant

6. Experiments

7. Observation

8. Result

9. Conclusion

10. Precautions

11. Bibliography

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 10.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this project is to study some of the common food
adulterants present in various food items.

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 Introduction

Adulteration or contamination of natural food products is one of

the major challenges in today’s society. Despite various actions and
penalties, the practice of adding adulterant is quite common in
developing countries. There are various methods used for
adulterating natural products.

Food Adulteration can be defined as the practice of adulterating

food or contamination of food materials by adding a few
substances, which are collectively called adulterants.
The process of contaminating food or adding to the food
components is a common phenomenon in developing countries.

For instance: Milk can be diluted by adding water to increase its

quantity and starch powder is often added to increase its solid
content.
Listed below are the main reasons for adulterating food products:
 Practised as a part of the business strategy.

 An imitation of some other food substance.

 Lack of knowledge of proper food consumption.

 To increase the quantity of food production and sales.

 Increased food demand for a rapidly growing population.

 To make maximum profit from food items by fewer

investments.

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 Theory

Adulteration is an illegal practice of adding raw and other cheaper

ingredients to excellent quality products to increase the quantity.
Having this adulterated food is highly toxic and leads to several
health issues, including certain nutrition deficiency diseases, kidney
disorders, and failure of an individual’s organ systems, including
heart, kidney and liver.

Below is a list of some adulterants added to different food items and

their effects.

Food
Adulterant Harmful Effects
Products

Milk and Curd Water and starch powder. Stomach disorders.

Ghee, Cheese Gastro-intestinal disturbances and

Mashed potatoes, Vanaspati and starch powder.
and Butter other stomach disorders.

Dust, Pebbles, Stones, Straw, weed seeds, Liver disorders, Toxicity in the
Grains
damaged grain, etc. body, etc.

Pulses Dyes, chemical and Lead Chromate. Stomach disorders.

Coffee powder Chicory, tamarind seeds powder. Diarrhoea.

Tea Artificial colouring agents. Liver disorders.

Stomach disorders and kidney

Sugar Chalk powder, Washing soda, Urea, etc.
failure.

Pepper Dried papaya seeds and blackberries. Severe allergic reactions including

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 stomach and skin irritations.

Abdominal contractions,
Mustard seeds Argemone seeds. sluggishness and increased
excretion.

Gallbladder cancer, allergies,

Mineral oil, Karanja oil, castor oil and artificial
Edible Oils paralysis, cardiac arrest, and
colours.
increased LDL cholesterol.

Turmeric Pesticide residues, sawdust, chalk dust, industrial

Cancer and Stomach disorders.
Powder dyes, metanil yellow dye arsenic, lead metal etc.

Metal toxicity, Cancer, lead

Chilli and Redbrick powder, Rhodamine B dye, red lead,
poisoning, tumour, variations in
Coriander dung powder, soluble salts, water-soluble synthetic
blood pressure and other stomach
powder colours and other common salts.
related disorders.

Liver Damage, Low Blood Sugar,

Cinnamon
Cassia bark. Mouth Sores and increased risk of
sticks
cancer.

Cumin seeds Coloured grass seeds, sawdust and charcoal dust Stomach disorders.

These dyes are highly carcinogenic

Jam, Juice and Non-permitted dyes including metanil yellow and
that have the potential to cause
Candies other artificial food dyes.
different types of cancer.

Vomiting and other Stomach

Jaggery Washing soda, chalk powder
disorders

Honey Molasses, dextrose, sugar and corn syrups Stomach disorders

Fruits and Chemical dyes, Malachite green, calcium carbide, Stomach disorders, vomiting, and
Vegetables copper sulphate and oxytocin saccharin wax. dyes used are highly carcinogenic.

Pumpkin pulp, non-edible artificial colours and Gastritis and inflammation of vital
Tomato sauces
flavours. organs.

Pepper oil, ethyl acetate, butyraldehyde, nitrate,

Dreadful diseases that affect
washing powder. The kind of gum is added which
Ice Cream organs including lungs, kidneys,
is prepared by boiling different animal parts
and heart.
including the tail, udder, nose, etc.

Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has been

created for laying down science-based standards for articles of food

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 and to control their manufacture, storage, allotment, sale and
import to make sure availability of safe and decent food for human
expenditure. All entities involved in the manufacturing, storing,
transportation or selling of food products are required to
obtain FSSAI Registration and comply with FSSAI regulations.

Punishment for Food Adulteration

The FSSAI regulations provide for various punishment to persons

who alter food or food products as under:

 Import, manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of any food

article which is adulterated by allowing its quality or purity to
fall below the prescribed standard, or is misbranded, or in
contravention of any provision of the Act or Rules. The penalty
for this offense is a minimum imprisonment of six months that
may extend up to 3 years and a minimum fine of Rs 1000.

 Import, manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of any

adulterant not injurious to health. Penalty is minimum
imprisonment of six months that may extend up to 3 years and
minimum fine of Rs 1000.

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 Preventing a Food Inspector from taking a sample or exercising
his Penalty is minimum imprisonment of six months that may
extend up to 3 years and minimum fine of Rs 1000.

 Giving a false warranty in writing in respect of any food article.

Penalty is minimum imprisonment of six months that may
extend up to 3 years and minimum fine of Rs 1000.
 Import, manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of any food
article which is adulterated or any adulterant which is injurious
to health is being used is punishable under Law. Penalty is
minimum imprisonment of one year that may extend up to 6
years and minimum fine of Rs 2000.

Prevention Of Food
Adulteration Act,1954
(Amended in 1964, 1976, 1986)
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 The Act provides the protection from adulteration / contamination of
food that may lead to the health risk of consumers. The Act deals with
the frauds also that can be perpetrated by the dealers by supplying
cheaper or adulterated foods. The Act regulates the use of chemicals,
pesticides, flavours and other additives in food preparation. Through
this Act there is a control over dumping of sub-standards foods.
Enrichment of flour, bread, or other cereals with vitamins or minerals,
iodization of salt, vitaminisation of vansapati oil, addition of vitamin
"C" in certain foods can be done under the provision made in this Act.

 Different definitions of food, adulteration, misbranding, etc. are

described in the Act (Sec 2). Centre is empowered to appoint an
Advisory committee called the Central Committee for Food Standard
(Sec 3). In any dispute an adulterated sample need to be examined by
the court. The Central Food Laboratories give its final opinion on the
subject. These 4 laboratories are located in Calcutta, Ghaziabad,
Mysore and Pune. There are approximately 82 food laboratories in the
country at district/regional/state level working for the purpose of the
PFA Act. Powers are given to the State Governments to appoint Public
Analyst and Food Inspectors who control the food supply, storage, and
marketing of foods. It is the duty of inspector to draw and dispatch
samples to a laboratory. The Central Government is empowered to
define the standards of quality, control over production, distribution
and sale of food, packing, labeling, licensing, and controlling the food
additives.

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  There is a provision of penalty if anybody break the law for a maximum
imprisonment of 1 year or a minimum fine or Rs. 2000 in the first
instance and for imprisonment of 6 months which may extend to 6
years and cancellation of license on the second or subsequent offense.
There is a penalty for violation of rules with regard to seized article
subsequently found adulterated and contaminated with injurious
substances. When consumed adulterated food is likely to cause death
or injury to the body or amount to grievous hurt can be punished
according to Section 320 of the Indian Penal Code. There is an
imprisonment of 3 years but which may extend to the life term and
with the fine which shall not be less than Rs. 5000.

DIFFERENT CHEMICAL TESTS FOR DETECTION

OF ADULTERANT

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1. Metanil yellow in pulses
Shake 5 gm: of the suspected pulses with 5 ml of water. Add a few drops of
hydrochloric acid. A pink colour shows the presence of metanil yellow.

2. Kesari Dal in Channa or Other Dals

Add 5 ml of normal hydrochloric acid to a small quantity of dal in a glass.

Keep the glass in simmering water for 15 minutes. Development of pink
colour indicates the presence of Kesari dal. By visual detection-shape of dal.
The kesari dal is wedge shaped.

3. Water in milk:

Measure the specific gravity with a lactometer. The normal values will fall
between 1.030 and 1.034. Milkmen are wise to the test and may dilute the
milk only to the right density, so this is only a rough test.

4. Starches in milk:

Add a drop of iodine solution to a small quantity of milk. Milk containing

starch turns blue. Pure milk turns a coffee shade.

5. Vanaspati in pure ghee

Take about one teaspoonful of melted butter with an equal quantity of

concentrated hydrochloric acid in a test tube. Add 2 or 3 drops of furfural
solution. Shake it well for one minute and let it stand for five minutes.
Appearance of pink colour in the lower layer of acid means that vanaspati is
present in pure ghee/butter as an adulterant.

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6. Argemone oil in mustard oil

Heat the mixture of oils with a little amount of nitric acid for two to
three minutes. A red colour will appear if argemone is present

7. Chalk or any other dust or dirt in sugar

Dissolve sugar in water, the impurities will settle down at the bottom.

Experiment 1
AIM: To detect the presence of adulterants in fat, oil, and butter.

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APPARATUS: Test-tube, acetic anhydride, conc. H2504, acetic acid, conc.
HNO3

THEORY: Common adulterants present in ghee and oil are paraffin wax,
hydrocarbons, dyes and argemone oil. These are detected as
follows:

(i) Adulteration of paraffin wax and hydrocarbon in

vegetable ghee. Heat small amount of vegetable ghee
with acetic anhydride. Droplets of oil floating on the
surface of unused acetic anhydride indicates the
presence of wax or hydrocarbons.

(ii) Adulteration of dyes in fat. Heat 1mL of fat with a

mixture of 1mL of conc. sulphuric acid and 4mL of acetic
acid. Appearance of pink or red colour indicates
presence of dye in fat.

(iii)Adulteration of argemone oil in edible oils. Take small amount of oil in a

test-tube, add few drops of conc. HNO3 and shake. Appearance of red
colour in the acid layer indicates presence of argemone oil.

Experiment 2
AIM: To detect the presence of adulterants in sugar.

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APPARATUS REQUIRED: Test-tubes, dil. HCl.

PROCEDURE:

Sugars usually contaminated with washing soda and other insoluble

substances which are detected as follows:

(i) Adulteration of various insoluble substances in sugar. Take

small amount of sugar in a test-tube and shake it with little
water. Pure sugar dissolves in water but insoluble impurities
do not dissolve.

(ii) Adulteration of chalk powder, washing soda in sugar. Take small

amount of sugar in a test-tube, add few drops of HCl. Brisk
effervescence of CO2 shows the presence of chalk powder or
washing soda in the given sample of sugar.

Experiment 3
AIM: Detection of Kesari Dal in Besan.

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APPARATUS REQUIRED: Test-Tubes, dil. HCI.

PROCEDURE:

Take 1g of the besan sample is taken in a test tube and 10 mL of 70% HCI
is added to it. The content is boiled for some time.

THEORY:

Besan powder is usually adulterated with kesari dal which contains

butyl oxalyl alanine amine (BOAA) which causes lethargy and ultimate
paralysis in lower limbs of human body on regular consumption.
The detection of BOAA in besan powder indicates adulteration of it
with kesari dal. Development of pinkish colour indicates adulteration
of besan with kesari dal.

Table for different samples-

SL. NO. SAMPLES RESULT

1. Open sample Adulterant present

2. Packed sample Adulterant absent

Experiment 4
AIM: DETECTION OF STARCH IN MILK.

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APPARATUS REQUIRED: Test-Tubes, iodine Solution.

THEORY:

Along with water, a very common adulterant of milk is starch. Milk

consist of three basic components which are as follows:
(i) Water (about8o).
(ii) Fat (about3.s%).
(iii) Solids containing protein, lactose.
(iv) Mineral matters (about 8.5%).
Milk is adulterated with starch to maintain the thickness of fat
extracted milk or diluted milk.

PROCEDURE:

At first mL of milk ample is taken in a test tube and is boiled for 3-4
minutes.
Then itis cooled and 1-2 drops of iodine solution is added to it and is
shaken well.
Appearance of blue colour indicates the presence of starch in the
sample.

Table for different samples: -

S.NO SAMPLES RESULT

1. Amul TAZA Adulterant absent.

2. Diary milk Adulterant present.

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3. Nestle EVERYDAY Adulterant absent.

4. Amul Adulterant absent

5. Sudha Adulterant absent

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Result:
The required analyses for adulterants in food stuffs has been
made.

Conclusion:
Selection of wholesome and non-adulterated food is essential
for daily life to make sure that such foods do not cause any
health hazard. It is not possible to ensure wholesome food
only on visual examination when the toxic contaminants are
present in ppm level. However, visual examination of the food
before purchase makes sure to ensure absence of insects,
visual fungus, foreign matters, etc. Therefore, due care taken
by the consumer at the time of purchase of food after
thoroughly examining can be of great help. Secondly, label
declaration on packed food is very important for knowing the
ingredients and nutritional value. It also helps in checking the
freshness of the food and the period of best before use. The
consumer should avoid taking food from an unhygienic place
and food being prepared under unhygienic conditions. Such
types of food may cause various diseases. Consumption of cut
fruits being sold in unhygienic conditions should be avoided. It
is always better to buy certified food from reputed shops.

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Precautions:
By taking a few precautions, we can escape from consuming
adulterated products.
1. Take only packed items of well-known companies.
2.Buy items from reliable retail shops and recognized
outlets.
3. Check the ISI mark or Agmark.
4. Buy products of only airtight popular brands.
5. Avoid craziness for artificially coloured sweets and buy only
from reputed shops.
6.Do not buys sweets or snacks kept in open.

Bibliography
https://www.google.com
https://www.scribd.com
https://www.byjus.com
https://slideshare.net

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 Thank You

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