K.S.

K ACADEMY
( S E N I O R S E C O N DA R Y P U B L I C S C H O O L )

A Chemistry Investigatory Project

On
food adulterants in different
food stuffs
For
AISSCE 2021 Examination
[As a part of Chemistry Course(043)]
Submitted by:
Raghav Kumar Singh
Under the guidance of:
Mrs. Komal
PGT (Chemistry)
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Project/Dissertation
entitled Food Adulterants in Different Food Stuffs is a
bona fide work done by Master Raghav Kr. Singh of
class XII ‘Science’ Session 2020-2021 in partial
fulfillment of CBSE’S AISSCE Examination 2021
and has been carried out under my direct supervision
and guidance. This report or a similar report on the
topic has not been submitted for any other examination
and does not form a part of any other course undergone
by the candidate.

……………… ………………
Signature of Student Signature of Teacher
(Raghav Kr. Singh) (Mrs. Komal)
Roll No.:
………………..
Place: New Delhi Signature of Principal
Date: (Mr. Hemant Kumar)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I undertook this Project work, as the part of my XII-

Information Practices course . I had tried to apply my best of
knowledge and experience, gained during the study and class
work experience. However, developing software system is
generally a quite complex and time-consuming process. It
requires a systematic study, insight vision and professional
approach during the design and development . Moreover, the
developer always feels the need, the help and good wishes of
the people near you, who have considerable experience and idea.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks gratitude to my
teacher Mrs. Komal, PGT(Chemistry). I am very much tankful
to our Principal Mr. Hemant Kumar for giving valuable time
and moral support to develop this software.
I would like to take the opportunity to extend my sincere
thanks and gratitude to my brother Mr. Naveen Kr. Singh for
being a source of inspiration and providing time and freedom
to develop this software project.
I also feel indebted to my friend Master Satish for the valuable
Suggestions during the project work.

Raghav Kr. Singh

Class: XII Science
 CONTENTS

1. Certificate 02
2. Acknowledgement 03
3. Objective 05
3. Introduction 06
4. Theory 07-08
5. Experimental Work 09-18
❖ Aim
❖ Apparatus Required
❖ Procedure
❖ Observations
❖ Result
❖ Precautions
❖ Conclusion

6. Bibliography 19
 OBJECT I VE
Study some of the common food
adulterants present in different food
stuffs.
 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 19th 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.
 THEORY
The increasing number of food producers and
the outstanding amount of import foodstuffs
enables the producers to mislead and cheat
consumers.
To differentiate those who take advantage of
legal rules from the ones who commit food
adulteration is very difficult. The consciousness
of consumers would be crucial. Ignorance and
unfair market behaviour may endanger
consumer health and misleading can lead to
poisoning.
So we need simple screening tests for their
detection. In the past few decades, adulteration
of food has become one of the series problems.
Consumption of adulterated food causes serious
diseases like cancer, diarrhoea, asthma, ulcers,
etc. Majority of fats, oils and butter are paraffin
wax, castor oil and hydrocarbons. Red chilli
powder is mixed with brick powder and pepper
is mixed dried papaya seeds.
These adulteration can be easily identified
by simple chemical tests.

Several agencies have been set up by the

government of India to remove adulterants
from food stuffs.

AGMARK- acronym for agricultural

marketing…this organization certifies food
products for their quality. Its objective is to
promote the grading and standardization of
agricultural and allied commode.
 EXPERIMENT NO. 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 NO. 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 No. 3
AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in samples
of chilli powder ,turmeric powder and pepper.
APPARATUS REQUIRED :
Test-tubes, conc. HCI, dil. HNO 3, 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.
OBSERVATION :
EXPT. EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE OBSERVATION
NO. NAME

1. Adulteration of Heat small amount Appearance

paraffin wax and of vegetable ghee of oil floating
hydrocarbon in with acetic on the surface.
vegetable ghee. anhydride. Droplets
of oil floating on the
surface of unused
acetic anhydride
indicate the
presence of wax or
hydrocarbon.

2. Adulteration of Heat 1ml of fat with Appearance

dyes in fat a mixture of 1ml of of pink colour.
conc. H2SO4 and
4ml of acetic
acid.
3. Adulteration of To small amount of No red colour
argemone oil in oil in a test tube, observed.
edible oils. add few drops of
conc. HNO3 &
shake.
4. Adulteration of Take small amount Pure sugar
various insoluble of sugar in a test dissolves water
substances in tube and shake it but insoluble
sugar. with little water. impurities do
not dissolve.

5. Adulteration of To small amount of No brisk

chalk powder, sugar in a test tube, effervescence
washing soda in add a few drops of observed.
sugar. dil. HCI.

6. Adulteration of To a sample of chilli Appearance of

yellow lead salts powder, add. Conc. magenta colour.
to turmeric HCI.
powder.
7. Adulteration of To a sample of chilli No yellow
red lead salts in powder, add dil. precipitate.
chilli powder. HNO3. Filter the
solution and so add
2 drops of KI
solution to the
filtrate.

8. Adulteration of Add small amount Brick powder

brick powder in of given red chilli settles at the
chilli powder. powder in a beaker bottom while
in a beaker pure chilli
containing water. powder floats
over water.
9. Adulteration of Add small amount Dried papaya
dried papaya of sample of seeds being
seeds in pepper. pepper to beaker lighter float
containing water over water
and stir with a glass while pure
rod. pepper settles
at the bottom.
RESULT :
The required analyses for adulterants in
food stuffs has been made.
PRECAUTIOS :
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 air tight popular
brands.
5. Avoid craziness for artificially coloured
sweets and buy only from reputed shops.
6. Do not buy sweets or snacks kept in open.
7. Avoid buying things from street side
vendors.
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.
 BIBLOGRAPHY:
1. Websites
➢ www.wikipedia.org
➢www.google.com
➢www.yahoo.com
2. Applications
➢Google
➢Youtube
3. Books
➢ Comprehensive Practical Manual
➢NCERT textbook class 12 (Chemistry-
4. Part_1)