FOOD ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

CHEMISTRY PROJECT

GROUP MEMBERS :
AARYA N R NAI R
ABHIMANYU RV
NEERAJ SG
A D A R SH P
 INDEX
1. CERTIFICATE

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

3. OBJECTIVE

4. INTRODUCTION

5. THEORY

6. EXPERIEMENT

 Aim

 Apparatus Required

 Procedure

 Result

 Precautions

 Conclusion

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this project is to study and identify some
common food adulterants present in different food substances.

These food adulterants can be identified by doing some

experiments on the food sample which needs to be tested.
INTRODUCTION
Food is an essential part of our daily lives, providing the nourishment
needed for our well-being. However, in the quest for profit and
convenience, some unscrupulous individuals engage in the practice of
adding adulterants to food items. Food adulteration refers to the
contamination or addition of inferior, harmful, or cheaper substances to
food products. This deceitful practice poses a serious threat to public
health, as unsuspecting consumers may consume compromised food
without realizing it.

One of the most prevalent forms of food adulteration is the

addition of water to various products such as milk, juices, and
condiments. This dilution not only reduces the nutritional
content but also increases the risk of microbial contamination.
Adulterants like starch, chalk, and talcum powder are often
added to spices and condiments to enhance bulk and
appearance, but these substances offer no nutritional value and
may have adverse health effects.

In the case of edible oils, unscrupulous vendors may mix

cheaper oils with premium ones or even add synthetic colours
to give a false impression of quality. This not only deceives
consumers but can also lead to serious health issues, as the
altered composition of the oil may disrupt the balance of
essential fatty acids.
Consuming adulterated food can have detrimental effects on
health. Adulterants may cause digestive issues, allergic
reactions, and long-term health problems. For instance, the
consumption of contaminated milk can lead to gastrointestinal
disorders, while the ingestion of adulterated spices and
condiments may result in allergic reactions or respiratory
problems.

Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the

harmful effects of food adulteration, as their immune systems
may be weaker. Prolonged exposure to adulterated food can
contribute to the development of chronic health conditions,
imposing a significant burden on individuals and healthcare
systems.

To safeguard against the risks of food adulteration, consumers

must be vigilant and adopt certain preventive measures.
Purchasing food items from reputable and trusted sources,
checking labels for authenticity, and being aware of common
adulterants are crucial steps in ensuring the safety of the food
we consume. Government agencies and regulatory bodies also
play a vital role in implementing and enforcing stringent quality
control measures to curb the prevalence of food adulteration.

Food adulteration is a serious concern that undermines the very

essence of nourishment and poses a threat to public health
 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 serious 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 with
dried papaya seeds.

These adulterants 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
-----------------------------------------

E X P E R I M E N T 1:

TEST FOR ADULTERANTS IN SUGAR

-----------------------------------------
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 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.
-----------------------------------------

E X P E R I M E N T 2:

TEST FOR ADULTERANTS IN CHILLI PODWER, TURMERIC

PODWER AND PEPPER.

-----------------------------------------
Aim:
To detect the presence of adulterants in samples of chili
powder, turmeric powder and pepper.

Apparatus Required:
Test-tubes, conc. HCI, dil. HNO, KI solution.

Procedure:
Common adulterants present in chili 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 chili 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 chili powder:

Add small amount of given red chili powder in beaker

Containing water. Brick powder settles at the bottom while Pure
chili powder floats over water.

Adulteration of dried papaya seeds in pepper:

Add small amount of sample of pepper to 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
 RESULT
The required analysis for adulterants in food
items has been made.

Sugar sample -> Adulterants

Chilli powder sample -> Adulterants

Turmeric powder sample -> Adulterants

Black pepper -> Adulterants

PRECAUTIONS

 Store the samples in air tight containers.

 Use new samples. Avoid used ones.

 Mix well when making solutions.

 Use samples from well-known companies.

 Avoid spilling of chemicals used for testing.

 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
Websites :

 www.google.com

 chat.openai.com

 www.wikipedia.org

Books :

 Comprehensive practice manual

 NCERT textbook