FOOD

ADULTERATION
By – Roshni Thota
12D
INDEX
S.NO TOPICS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WHAT IS FOOD ADULTERATION?
3.
WHY IS FOOD ADULTERATION
DONE?
4. EXPERIMENT 1
5. EXPERIMENT 2
6. EXPERIMENT 3
7. OBSERVATIONS
8. PRE-CAUTIONS
9.
How can Adulteration be
Prevented?
10. CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
Food is one of the basic necessities for sustenance of
life. Pure, fresh and healthy diet is most essential for
the health of the people. It is no wonder to say that
community health is national wealth. Adulteration of
food-stuffs was so rampant, widespread and persistent
that nothing short of a comprehensive that nothing
short of a somewhat drastic remedy in the form of a
comprehensive legislation became the need of the
hour. To check this kind of anti-social evil a concerted
and determined onslaught was launched by the
government by introduction of the Prevention of Food
Adulteration Bill in the Parliament to herald an era of
much needed hope and relief for the consumers at
large. About the middle of the 19 th century chemical
and microscopical knowledge had reached the stage
that food substances could be analyzed, and the
subject of food adulteration began to be Studied from
the standpoint of the rights and welfare of the
consumer.
 WHAT IS FOOD
ADULTERATION?
Food adulteration refers to the deliberate addition or
substitution of inferior, harmful, or fraudulent substances to
food products in order to increase profits or deceive
consumers. This unethical practice has been a longstanding
issue that poses significant risks to public health,
undermines consumer trust, and compromises the integrity
of the food supply chain.

Adulterants can be substances such as non-food ingredients,

cheaper alternatives, or contaminants that are added to
food products to mimic genuine characteristics or cover up
defects. They may include substances like artificial colors,
flavors, and preservatives, as well as toxic chemicals,
impurities, and even pathogens.

The motivations behind food adulteration are often

economic, as producers seek to reduce costs or increase the
apparent quality of products without regard for consumer
safety. This unethical practice can have serious
consequences, ranging from mild health issues to severe
illnesses or even fatalities. Common examples of
adulterated food products include diluted milk with water,
contaminated spices, adulterated oils, and counterfeit
alcoholic beverages.
WHY IS FOOD ADULTERATION
DONE?
1. Economic Gain: The foremost reason for food
adulteration is financial profit. Manufacturers may
adulterate products to cut costs by using cheaper
substitutes, diluting ingredients, or
adding fillers. For instance, the addition
of water to milk or the use of inferior
spices can lead to higher profits for
unscrupulous producers.

2. Enhancing Appearance and Quality:

Adulteration is sometimes carried out to improve the
appearance, texture, or taste of a
product. Adding artificial colors,
flavors, or texture-enhancing agents
can make products visually
appealing and simulate the
characteristics of natural
ingredients.

3. Extended Shelf Life: Adulterants like preservatives and

chemicals can extend the shelf life of food products,
enabling longer storage and
distribution periods. This can
reduce losses due to spoilage and
result in increased profits.
4. Misleading Consumers: Food adulteration is often used to
deceive consumers by making products appear higher
quality or more genuine than they actually are. Synthetic
colors may be added to fruit juices
to enhance their vibrancy or
artificial aromas used to mimic
natural scents.

5. Masking Defects: Adulteration

can be a means to hide defects or
inconsistencies in food items. Substances like starch, chalk,
or talc may be added to liquids to thicken them or mask
imperfections, providing a false impression of quality.

6. Regulatory Evasion: Adulteration can help manufacturers

meet minimum quality standards without delivering the
promised nutritional value. By adding adulterants, they can
circumvent stringent regulations and avoid penalties.

7. Profit-Driven Competition: In cutthroat market

environments, manufacturers might resort to adulteration
to undercut competitors' prices, gaining a competitive
edge and capturing larger market shares.
THE INVESTIGATIONS
EXPERIMENT 1:
AIM :
To detect the presence of adulterants in fat, oil and butter.

APPARATUS REQUIRED :
Test-tube, acetic anhydride, conc. H2SO4, acetic acid,
conc.HNO3.

PROCEDURE :
Common adulterants present in ghee and oil are
paraffin wax, hydrocarbons, dyes and argemone
oil. These are detected as follows :
❖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.
❖Adulteration of dyes in fat heat 1ml of fat with a mixture
of 1ml of conc. Sulfuric acid and 4ml of acetic acid.
Appearance of pink or red colour indicates presence of dye
in fat.
❖Adulteration of argemone oil
in edible oils to 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.

APPARATUS REQUIRED :
Test-tubes, dil. HCI.

PROCEDURE :
Sugar is usually contaminated with washing soda
and other insoluble substances which are detected as
follows :
❖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.
❖Adulteration of chalk powder, washing soda in sugar. To
make small amount of sugar in a test-tube, add few drops of
HCI. Brisk
effervescence of CO2
shows the presence of
chalk powder or
washing soda in the
given sample of sugar.
 EXPERIMENT 3:
AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in samples of chilli
powder ,turmeric powder and pepper.

APPARATUS REQUIRED :
Test-tubes, conc. HCI, dil. HNO3, KI solution.

PROCEDURE:
Common adulterants present in chilli powder, turmeric
powder and pepper are red coloured lead salts. Yellow lead
salts and dried papaya seeds respectively. They are detected
as follows:
❖Adulteration of red lead salts in chilli powder. To a sample
of chilli powder, add dil. HNO3. Filter the dil. Solution and
add 2 drops of potassium
iodide solution to the
filtrate. Yellow ppt.
indicates the presence of
lead salts in chilli powder .
❖Adulteration of yellow
lead salts to turmeric
powder. To a sample of turmeric powder add conc. HCI.
Appearance of magenta colour shows the presence of
yellow oxides of lead in turmeric powder.

❖Adulteration of brick powder in red chilli powder.

Add small amount of given red chilli powder in beaker

containing water. Brick powder settles at the bottom while
pure chilli
powder floats over water.
❖Adulteration of dried papaya in pepper. Add small amount
of sample of pepper to a beaker containing water and stir
with a glass rod. Dried papaya seeds being lighter float over
water while pure pepper settles at the bottom.
 OBSERVATIONS
EXPT EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE OBSERVATION
NO. NAME
1. Adulteration of Heat small amount of Appearance of oil
paraffin wax and vegetable ghee with floating on the surface.
hydrocarbon in acetic anhydride.
vegetable ghee. Droplets of oil floating
on the surface of
unused acetic
anhydride indicate the
presence of wax or
hydrocarbon.

2. Adulteration of dyes in Heat 1ml of fat with a Appearance of pink

fat. mixture of 1ml of color.
conc.H2SO4 and 4ml of
acetic acid.

3. Adulteration of To small amount of oil No red color is observed.

argemone oil in edible in a test tube, add few
oils. drops of conc.HNO3
and shake.

4. Adulteration of various Take small amount of Pure sugar dissolves in

insoluble substances in sugar in a test tube and water but insoluble
sugar. shake it well with little impurities do not
water. dissolve.

5. Adulteration of chalk To small amount of No brisk effervescence

powder, washing soda sugar in a test tube, observed.
in sugar. add a few drops of
dil.HCl.
6. Adulteration of yellow To a sample of chili Appearance of magenta
lead salts to turmeric powder, add conc.HCl. color.
powder.

7. Adulteration of red To a sample of chili

No yellow precipitate.
lead salts in chili powder, add
powder. dil.HNO3. Filter the
solution and so add 2
drops of KI solution
to the filtrate.

8. Adulteration of brick Add small amount of Brick powder settles at

powder in chili given red chili the bottom while pure
powder. powder in a beaker chilli powder floats
containing water. over water.
9. Adulteration of dried Add small amount of Dried papaya seeds
papaya seeds in sample of pepper to being lighter float over
pepper. beaker containing water while pure
water and stir with a pepper settles at the
glass rod. bottom.
PRE-CAUTIONS
By taking a few precautions, we can escape from consuming
adulterated products.

 Take only packed items of well-known companies.

 Buy items from reliable retail shops and recognized

outlets.

 Check the ISI mark or AGMARK.

 Buy products of only airtight popular brands.

 Avoid artificially colored sweets and buy only from

reputed shops.

 Do not buy sweets or snacks kept in open.

 Avoid buying things from street side vendors.

How can Adulteration be

Prevented?
Preventing food adulteration requires a comprehensive and
coordinated approach involving various stakeholders,
regulatory measures, technological advancements, and
consumer awareness. Here are some strategies that can be
employed to prevent and minimize food adulteration:

1. Stringent Regulations and Enforcement: Governments

should establish and enforce strict food safety regulations that
set clear standards for permissible levels of contaminants,
additives, and labeling requirements. Penalties for violating
these regulations should be severe enough to deter
adulteration.

2. Regular Testing and Monitoring: Regular and random

inspections, along with robust testing procedures, should be
conducted at different stages of the food supply chain. This
includes testing raw materials, intermediate products, and
finished goods to detect any instances of adulteration.

3. Advanced Testing Technologies: Employ advanced

technologies such as DNA testing, spectroscopy,
chromatography, and other analytical methods to identify
adulterants with greater accuracy and speed.

4. Supplier Verification: Establish stringent criteria for

selecting and verifying suppliers. Regularly audit and assess
suppliers' practices to ensure they meet quality and safety
standards.
5. Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate consumers about
food adulteration, its risks, and ways to identify and avoid
adulterated products. Informed consumers can make better
choices and put pressure on producers to maintain product
integrity.

6. Industry Self-Regulation: Encourage industry associations

to develop and enforce codes of conduct that promote ethical
practices and discourage adulteration.

7. Product Labeling and Authentication: Implement

secure labeling and authentication measures, such as QR codes
or holograms, that allow consumers to verify the authenticity
of products before purchase.

8. Collaborative Partnerships: Foster collaboration

between governments, industry stakeholders, non-
governmental organizations, and research institutions to share
knowledge, resources, and best practices in preventing
adulteration.

9. Public-Private Partnerships: Engage the private sector in

efforts to combat food adulteration by encouraging them to
invest in research, technology, and initiatives aimed at
ensuring food safety and authenticity.

10. Global Cooperation: Food adulteration is a global issue.

International collaboration can help share insights, best
practices, and technologies to address adulteration across
borders.

11. Strict Market Surveillance: Establish dedicated agencies

or units responsible for monitoring and investigating cases of
food adulteration. These agencies should have the authority to
take swift action against violators.

By combining these strategies and approaches, society can

work together to prevent food adulteration and ensure the
safety, integrity, and authenticity of the food supply.

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.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 National library of medicine.

 Agmark.net.in

 Chemistry lab manual.

 NCERT Chemistry textbooks.

 Thesciencenotes.com

 byjus.com
THANK
YOU