CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY

PROJECT

ADULTERATION IN FOOD PRODUCTS

 Chemistry Project
Submitted to:

The Central Board of Secondary Education

In partial fulfilment of the required for

AISSCE in Chemistry (2020-2021)

By

Student name:

Reg. No:

under the supervision and guidance of

Ms.
Department of Chemistry
 INDEX
S.NO CONTENT Pg. No
1. Introduction 1
2. Theory 2
3. Types of Adulterations 3
4. Adulterants in Common Food Products 4
5. Impacts in Human Health 6
6. Preventive Measures 7
7. Government Measures 8
8. Reasons for Food Adulteration 9
9. Experiment 1 10
10. Experiment 2 11
11. Experiment 3 12
12. Experiment 4 13
13. Observation 14
14. Result 15
15. Precautions 16
16. Bibliography 17
 INTRODUCTION

Adulteration in food is normally present in its most crude form;

prohibited substances are either added or partly or wholly substituted.
What is exactly adulteration? The deliberate contamination of food
material with low quality, cheap and non-edible or toxic substances is
called as food adulteration. In our daily life there are so many unhygienic
and contaminated things for our health. Most of our things our
contaminated.
Even the food, which we eat, is adulterated. Normally adulteration in food
is done either for financial gain or due to carelessness and lack in proper
hygienic condition of processing, storing, transportation and marketing.
This ultimately results that is either cheated or often become victim of
diseases like cancer, asthma etc. Such types of adulteration are quite
common in developing countries or backward countries. It is equally
important for the consumer to know the common adulterants and their
effect on health.
The increasing number of food producers and the outstanding amount of
import food enables the producers to mislead and cheat consumers. The
substance, which lowers or degrades the quality of food material, is
called an adulterant.
An easy example of food adulteration is vanaspati ghee in desighee.
Adulterants when used in illicit drugs are called cutting agents, while
deliberate addition of toxic adulterants to food and other products for
human consumption is known as poisoning.
The traders use it for their economic benefit without thinking about its
effect on the common population of our country, which consumes it. For
preventing it our government has made some certain commissions and
laws.

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 THEORY

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.
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. The increasing number of food producers and
the outstanding amount of import foodstuffs enables the producers to mislead
and cheat consumers.

AGMARK
This organization certifies food products for their quality. Its
objective is to promote the Grading and Standardization of
agricultural and allied commodities.

ISI MARK
SI Mark is a certification mark for industrial products
in India. The mark certifies that a product confirms to
the Indian Standards, mentioned as IS: XXXX on the
top of the mark.

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TYPES OF FOOD ADULTERATION
1. Intentional adulteration: The adulterants are added as a
deliberate act with intention to increase profit.

E.G., sand, marble chips, stones, chalk powder, etc.

2. Incidental Adulteration: Adulterants are found in food due

to negligence, ignorance or lack of proper facilities.
E.G. Packaging hazards like larvae of insects, droppings,
pesticide residues, etc.

3. Metallic adulteration: When the metallic substances are

added intentionally or accidentally.
E.G., arsenic, pesticides, lead from water, mercury from
effluents, tins from cans, etc.

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ADULTERANTS IN COMMON FOOD

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IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH

Food adulteration has become a very common practice in our country, and we are
consuming these foods almost everyday, which have numerous harmful effects to our
health.

• Food adulteration with poisonous chemicals like formalin is widespread and

regularly applied on fish, fruit, meat and milk that causes different types of cancers,
asthma and skin diseases.
• Colouring dyes, calcium carbide, urea, brunt engine oil and even some permitted
preservatives are used in excessive amounts that affect multiple organs of the human
body. Mostly it causes cancer like colon, peptic ulcer diseases, and chronic liver
diseases including cirrhosis and liver failure, electrolyte imbalance and eventually
kidney failure.
• Heart diseases, blood disorders and bone marrow abnormality are also detected.
Chance of malignancy increases, and neurological impairment or brain functions are
also often compromised. Skin problems are frequently seen including allergic
manifestation.
• We know it is a punishable offence and it creates health hazards and can kill human
beings, even then we forget everything just for business interest. Now to save
ourselves and our descendants, we must fight all together against these ill trends of
adulteration.

Government should also take serious action with tougher laws against those culprits.
We all should make aware the general people about the serious health impact of taking
adulterated food. Such sincere community resistance can alter the scenario and we
need to do it right now. Taking care of your food means taking care of your health.

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PREVENTIVE MEASURES
1. Choose better

Make sure the food you buy has an FSSAI-validated label; which means, there
is FSSAI license number, detailed list of ingredients with the amount and the
clear mention of expiration date.

This is the first barrier - the first line of defence in ensuring the food is aptly
chosen by the consumer, considering the health benefits. Avoid choosing
products in loose packaging.

2. Drink safe water

Use water after properly purifying it. A combination of purification methods

like water purifier, heating, etc. can be used to ensure quality. Often we miss
out on water quality which is one of the major sources of food contamination.

3. Be aware
The recent adulteration analysis at home eBook released by FSSAI - DART
(Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test) - a must have for all food businesses,
companies and majorly, homes to check for adulteration by using locally
available chemicals. It might be an all-comprehensive solution as to methods
used for estimation.
4. Don't let the manufacturers con you

Just because the ingredients seem healthier option, doesn't mean they are.
Always look up for the 'claims' made by the food businesses using alternate,
'healthier' choices. For example, several artificial sweeteners use ingredients
which do more harm to the body than natural sugars 'assume' to do.

5. Dig deeper
Observe while the local food vendors or the vendors in your cafeteria make
something. If it doesn't seem right, healthy, stale or adulterated, then it should
be avoided.

GOVERNMENT MEASURES

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✔ The Adaptation of Laws (No.3) Order, 1956.

✔ The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1964 (49

of 1964).

✔ The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1971 (41

of 1971).

✔ The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1976 (34

of 1976).

✔ The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1986 (70of

1986).

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REASONS FOR FOOD ADULTERATION

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 adulteration of food products:

 Practiced 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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OBJECTIVE
To study the common food adulterant in fat, oil, butter, sugar, salt, turmeric powder,
chilli powder, pepper and honey.

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:

1. Adulteration of paraffin wax and hydrocarbons 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.

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

concentrated Sulphuric acid and 4ml of acetic acid. Appearance of pink or red
colour indicates presence of dye in fat.

3. Adulteration of argemone oil in edible oils. To small amount of oil in a test-

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

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EXPERIMENT 2

AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in sugar and salt.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
Test-tubes, dilute hydrochloric acid
PROCEDURE:
Sugar is usually contaminated with washing soda and other insoluble substances
which are detected as follows:

1. 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.

2. 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 that the
presence of chalk powder or washing soda in the given sample of sugar.

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EXPERIMENT 3
AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in samples of chilli powder, turmeric powder and
pepper.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
Test tubes, concentrated HCL, dilute HNO3 and KI solution.
PROCEDURE:
Common adulterants present in chilli powder, turmeric powder are red colored lead
salts, yellow lead salts and dried papaya seeds respectively. They are as follows:

1. Adulteration of red lead salts in chilli powder

To a sample of chilli powder add dilute HNO3. Filter the
solution and add 2 drops of potassium iodide solution to the filtrate.
Appearance of yellow ppt. indicates the presence of lead salts in chilli
powder.

2. Adulteration of yellow lead salts to turmeric powder

To a sample of turmeric powder add concentrated HCL.
Appearance of magenta colour shows the presence of yellow oxides of
lead in turmeric powder.

3. Adulteration of brick powder in red chilli powder

Add given amount of red chilli powder in beaker containing
water. Brick powder settles at the bottom while pure chilli powder
floats over water.

4. Adulteration of dried papaya seeds 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.

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EXPERIMENT 4

AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in honey.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
Honey, vinegar, iodine, old hard bread.
PROCEDURE:
1. Take a tablespoon of honey and put it in a glass of water. If the honey
dissolves, then it is not pure. Pure honey should stay together as a solid when
submerged in water.

2. Take a bit of honey and mix it with water. Then place four or five drops of
vinegar into the solution. If it turns foamy, the honey might have been
adulterated with gypsum.

3. Scoop a bit of honey into a spoon and let it fall from the spoon. Honey with
high water content will fall quickly. Mature honey of good quality will stay on
the spoon or fall very slowly.

4. Light a match and try to burn some of the honey. If it lights and burns, then it is
pure. Impure or low-quality honey often contains extra water that keeps it from
burning.

5. If you have iodine at home, take some honey, mix it with water, and add a few
drops of iodine. If the solution turns blue, then the honey has been adulterated
with some sort of starch or flour.

6. Take a small piece of old, hard bread and submerge it in the honey. If, when
you remove it 10 minutes later, the bread is still hard, then the honey is pure. If
there is a lot of water in the honey, the bread will soften.

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OBSERVATION

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RESULT
The experiments detect the presence of adulterants.

We can’t examine the toxicity in food visually as toxic contaminants are

present in ppm level. The increasing number of food producers and the
outstanding amounts of imported food stuffs enable the producers to
mislead and cheat consumers. The consciousness of consumers has
become very crucial. To differentiate of those who take advantage of legal
rules from the ones who commit food adulteration is exceedingly difficult.

Due care taken by the consumer at the time of purchase of food after
thoroughly examining can be of significant help. Label declaration
on packed food is particularly 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.

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PRECAUTIONS
By taking a few precautions, we can escape from consuming adulterated products.
They are as follows,
 Take only packed items from 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 craziness for artificially coloured sweets and buy only from reputed
shops.
 Do not buy sweets or snacks kept in open.
 Avoid buying things from street side vendors.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.indiatoday.in
https://www.geographyandyou.com
https://www.scribd.com
www.jagranjosh.com
https://www.publichealthnotes.com/food-adulteration-
types-of-food-adulteration-and-mitigation-measures/
https://www.brainkart.com/article/Types-Of-
Adulterants---1-Intentional-2-Incidental_2543/
https://byjus.com/biology/food-adulteration/

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