Adulteration, Check at Home and Buy Pure product, Health effect of Adulterant

Food Adulteration - CHAPTER - 1 #

Translate in Hindi (हिन्दी)

ADULTERATION:

“Deliberately or unwittingly (may be by natural source or other means) deleting of something valuable and mixing of something inferior/ impure/ Poisonous/ Pesticide residue/ Food additive/Color additive/ deleterious or unknown hazardous substances (that is fail to fulfill the federal or state standard of specify product) with something genuine or superior one.”

      Pure Product+ Adulterant = Adulterated Product 

(

ADULTERANT: 

Any added substances that makes genuine product to deviate from their specify standard is called adulterant. That can be deliberately added or incidentally during the period of culturing, harvesting, processing, transport, storage and distribution.

PURE/GENUINE PRODUCT:

A Pure product is a sample of matter with both define and constant composition, with distinct properties.

FooD ADULTERATION: 

Food is adulterated to increase the quantity and make more profit. The food is sucked of its nutrients and the place where the food is grown is often contaminated. Food adulteration takes into account not only the intentional addition or substitution or abstraction of substances which adversely affect the nature, substances and quality of  foods, but also their incidental contamination during the period of  growth, harvesting, storage, processing, transport and distribution.

A food adulterant may be defined as any material which is added to food or any substance which adversely affects the nature, substance and quality of the food.

Any article of food shall be considered as adulterated:

• If the article sold by a vendor is not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser or if not of the nature, substance or quality which it ought to be. Thus for e.g. , if a sweet vendor leads his customer to believe that his sweets are prepared in pure desi ghee and actually he uses a mixture of hydrogenated vegetable oils and ghee his sweets will be considered to be adulterated.
• If he article contains or processing has produced in it injurious ingredients, for instance during the process of hydrogenating oil to prepare vanaspati, nickel is used as a catalyst. If not properly removed, this metal can prove to be hazard.
• If any inferior or cheap substance has been substituted holly or in par for the article e.g. starch powder has been mixed in milk powder.
• If any constituent of the article has been wholly or in part abstracted e.g. natural flavours or essential oils have been removed from spices before selling them.
• If the article has been prepared packed or kept under unsanitary conditions or it has become contaminated or injurious to health.
• If the article has any filth, putrid rotten, decompose or diseased animal or vegetable substances or is insect infected or is otherwise unfit for human consumption;
• If the article is obtained from a diseased animal;If the article contains any poisonous or other ingredient which render it injurious to health;
• If the container of the articles composed of poisonous or deleterious substance which render its content injurious to health. For example, harmful chemicals can leach into the food kept in the container made from poor quality plastics.
• If it contains un-permitted colours or if he amount of the prescribed colouring matter are not within the prescribe limits. For instance, only 100 ppm of colour can be added to ice cream and the colour is to be chosen from a list of eight approved by the PFA.
• If the article contains any prohibited preservatives or an excessive amount  of permitted ones.
• If it does not satisfy the prescribed standards laid down by the authorities and which makes the article injurious o health. For e.g. an article of food should not have more than the permitted level of pesticides. If it does, the sugar is adulterated but such an adulteration is not injurious to health.
• If it does not satisfy the prescribed standards laid down by the authorities‘but the article does not become injurious to health. For e.g. sugar should not have more than 0.5 % by weight of moisture. If it does, the sugar is adulteration but such an adulteration is not injurious to health.

COMMONLY ADULTERATED FOODS: 

• Spices and Condiments (whole and ground)- Turmeric powder, Turmeric whole, Asafetida, Mustard whole, red chilli powder, and coriander powder.
• Pulses & Cereals, wheat, rice, and their products like wheat flour, Multi flours, broken wheat, gram flour and semolina.
• Oils and fats- Desi ghee, Vegetable oils, sunflower oil, mustard oil.
• Sweetening agent like sugar and honey.
• Processed food- confectionary, jams, sauces, ice creams and prepared foods items like sweets, Snacks, chips and Noodles.
• Milk and milk products.
• Coffee and tea.
• Non- alcoholic beverages CSD, soft drinks, juices, sherbets.

Food Contamination - Chapter- 2 # 

CONTAMINATION:
Mixing, Changing or Growing of any particulates in genuine product (Pure product) with
respect to their standard (That may be harmful, cause illness or not, May be deliberately
added or by incident, May be formation of other constituents due to reaction of within
product constituent or product- packing materials, May be due to growing of biological
factor or environmental factor) is called contamination and the factor by which
contamination is caused is called contaminants and the product which one is effected is
called contaminated.

Type of contamination on the Basis of Nature:

There are three types of contaminants on the basis of their Nature.

•      Physical Contamination
•      Chemical Contamination
•      Biological Contamination

PHYSICAL CONTAMINANTS:

Those unwanted materials that we can observe and separated manually.

E.g. Stone, mud balls, hair, plastic and glass pieces, Excreta, any foreign matters and parts of
other eatable matters.  

CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS:
The presence of hazardous chemical in materials more than the standard/Regulatory limits
is called Chemical contamination that may be caused…
During culturing - Pesticide, Dioxins & PCBs, Trace metals and fertilizers residue.
During the processing of Materials there is excessive use of chemical for treatment, Food
additive, Food preservative and extractive purpose.
Leaching of packing materials and during transport or cross contamination.
Mycotoxins, Uric acid or other toxins witch one secreted by insect is also considered as
chemical contamination.

BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION:
Materials are infected by live hood or have their parts after infection is called Biological
contamination. Biological contamination is further divided in two ways..

MACRO_ BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION:

In this section we are considered insects, insect larva or parts of any visible living materials
is called microbiological contamination.

MICRO_BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION:

In this section we are considered infection of micro- organism in materials (that we can’t see
by naked eye). E.g. salmonella, E.Coli etc.

ADULTERATION IN SPICE - CHAPTER - 3 #

Common adulterants of Spices are dummy products, synthetic color, colored flours and saw dusts, Bricks and colored chalk powder.

3.1. Adulteration of Argemone seeds in Mustard black & Mustard Fine:

Detection Method:

•     Spread approx 10 gram of Mustard black or Fine mustard sample on a white paper.
•     Then separate out argemone seed as seen in picture from whole sample and verified with glass lens by care full observation as described in morphological characteristics of Argemone seed.
•     Morphological characteristic of  Argemone Maxicana -  Argemone seeds have roufh groves on upper surface and color is brown to blackish.

Health Effect of Argemone seeds:
The seeds resemble the seeds of Brassica nigra (mustard). As a result, mustard can
be adulterated by argemone seeds, rendering it poisonous. Argemone seeds contains toxic
chemicals, namely Sanguinarine and Dihydrosanguinarine. Consumption of adulterated
mustard seed (Brassica nigra) with argemone seed (Argemone mexicana) even for a short
duration leads to a clinical condition referred as.

- Epidemic dropsy.

- Oxidative stress and

- Death of red blood cells via met-hemoglobin formation by altering pyridine nucleotide(s) and glutathione redox potential. 

Reason to be Adulterated: 

Argemone seed is not deliberately added that should be come from agriculture land added but due to high labor charge and illiteracy that should not removed out by manufacture.

3.2. Detection of Lead Chromate as adulterant in Turmeric Whole:

About Lead Chromate: Lead(II) chromate is used in some pyrotechnic compositions, especially delay compositions, as an oxidizer. Up to the late 1800s it was used to impart a bright yellow color to some types of food materials.

Reason to be Adulterated: Lead Chromate is used for the Yellow brightness of Spices and other food materials.  Due to the artificial brightness the product looks like a good quality.

Detection Method: 

- Pour one spoon of turmeric powder in one  glass water.

- if yellow color observed within few second that means turmeric powder adulterated with Lead choromate (a Cole tar dye).

Health effect of Lead Chromate: 
- Carcinogen, 
- Developmental toxicant

- Reproductive toxicant. 

- Cardivascular or blood toxicant

- Immunotoxicant

- Kidney toxicant

- Neurotoxicant

- Respiratory toxicant

- Skin toxicant 

- Sense organ toxicant

3.2.1. Adulteration of Papaya seeds in Black pepper:

Reason to be Adulterated: 

Monetary benefit of manufacturer or supplier.

Test Method: 

•     Take about 10 grams of black pepper sample in one glass of alcohol.
•     If some seeds are floating on surface of water after 5 minutes that should be papaya seeds or light berries.
•     Have some peaces of floating berries within fingure and puss, If the berries easily breakdown its conforms the berries is papaya seeds or light berries.
•     Papaya seeds can be easily separated out from black pepper as they are shrunken, Oval in shape and greenish brown or brownish black in color.

Health effect: Not Known.

3.2.2. Adulteration of Mineral oil layering on Black Paper:

About Mineral oils:

A mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a non-vegetable (mineral) source, particularly a distillate of petroleum,- like White oil,  kerosene oil, Paraffin oil and other petroleum product.

Reason to be adulterated with Mineral oil:

During Non-Volatile content determination in Chemical laboratories, the black pepper gives Pseudo positive result due to adulteration with Mineral oil and looks like a good quality of black pepper.

Test Method: 

- There is a foul smell of Kerosene oil, If Black pepper is coated with Mineral oil.

Health effect of Mineral oil as adulterant: 
Carcinogenic

3.3. Identification of Pure Cinnamon Zeylanicum and Cassia bark as adulterant:

About Cassia bark: 
Cinnamomum cassia, called Chinese cassia or Chinese cinnamon, is an evergreen tree originating in southern China.The tree grows to 10–15 m tall, with greyish bark and hard, elongated leaves that are 10–15 cm long and have a decidedly reddish colour,when young.Chinese cassia's flavour is less delicate than that of Cinnamon Zeylanicum. Its bark is thicker, more difficult to crush, and has a rougher texture than that of Cinnamon Zeylanicum.

Reason to be adulterated: 
Monetary profit of seller.  

Test Method: 

-Cassia bark is Identify by their Physical characteristics as described below.

-Cinnamon Zeylanicum bark is Soft, easily breakable, thin and Cylindrical than Cassia bark

and easily rape toward a pen or pencil.

-Cinnamon Zeylanicum bark is light brown in color and the bark of cassia bark is dark red

color.

-Chinese cassia's flavour is less delicate than that of Cinnamon Zeylanicum.

Health effect of Cassia bark:

Liver Damage due to high percentage of Caumarin than C.Zeylanicum

3.4.1. Detection of Colored Saw dust as Adulterant in Turmeric Powder:

About colored Saw Dust: 

Saw dust is the residue of Woods, that generated after cutting or sharping of woods.

Reason to be adulterated: 

For Monetary Profit manufacture or seller, Mixed up Colored saw dust in Turmeric powder and other spices.

Test Method:

- Take a full spoon of Turmeric powder in a test tube.

- Then add 5 ml Concentrated Hydrochloric acid.

- If a pink color observe then add 5 ml water.

- After addition of water, if pink color persist, its indicates that the presence of colored saw dust.

Mixing of colored saw dust in Powdered spice

Health Effect: 
Carcinogenic

3.4.2. Detection of chalk powder in Turmeric Powder and their Health Effect:

About Chalk Powder: Chalk powder is a silica based material.

Reason to be adulterated: Monetary benefit of Seller. 

Test Method:

•     Pour a full spoon of turmeric powder in a glass of water.
•     If there is any effervescence observed that means turmeric powder is adulterated with chalk powder.

Adulteration of Chalk powder in Powder spices

Health Effect: 
Stomach Disorder. 

3.5. Detection of Pure Asafoetida:

About Foreign Resin:

Reason to be adulterated: 
Due to Monetary profit, sellers are added some foreign resin, gum Arabic, flours, Soap stone
or starch. 

Test Method:

•      Take some peaces of Asafoetida and burn it.
•      If Asafoetida burned as champhur, its indicated the Asafoetida is 100% Pure, If Not that may be adulterated or compound Asafoetida.

Foreign resin in Asafoetida 

Health Effect: 
Toxic

3.6. Added starch detection in Powdered Spices and their Health Effect:

About Starch: 

Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined
by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants as an energy
store. It is the most common carbohydrate in human diets and is contained in large amounts
in such staple foods as potatoes, wheat, maize (corn), rice, and cassava.

Reason to be Adulterated: 
More profit, less investment.

Added Starch Test 

Test Method: 

Add some drops of Iodine solution on Powder Spices.

If Blue color observed that mean there is presence of Added Starch. 

Health Effect: 

Obesity 

3.7.1. Evaluation of Mineral oil coated and Exhausted clove in Clove and their Health Effect:

About Mineral oil: 

Mineral oils are extracted from earth as crude oils and we use crude oils as fuel, not for diet.

Reason to be adulterated: 
To give the attractive and Pseudo quality appearance.

Test Method: 

Clove

•       If the product is adulterated with Mineral oils that's should gives a smell of Kerosene oil.
•       The shape of exhausted clove is small and shrieked and gives less fragrance. 

Health Effect: 
Carcinogenic

Adulteration in Oils & Fats - Chapter – 4 #

4.1.Check the presence of Mineral oils like kerosene oil, Paraffin oil and other petroleum product in eatable and Natural Hair oils. 

Test Method – 1:

Principle: 

The presence of Mineral oil is indicated by the development of turbidity when hot water is

added to a freshly made alcoholic solution of the soap formed by the oil.

·         Take 2 ml of oil sample and add an equal quality of N/2 Alcoholic Potash.

·         Heat in boiling water bath (dip in boiling water) for about 15 minutes and add 10 ml of water. Any turbidity shows the presence of Mineral oil more than 1 % w/w.

Test Method – 2: Holde’s Test

·         Take 25 ml of the alcoholic KOH solution in conical flask and add 1 ml of the sample of oil to be tested.

·         Boil on a water bath using an air or water cooled condenser till the solution becomes clear and no oily drops are found on the sides of the flask.

·         Take out the flask from the water bath, transfer the contents to a wide mouthed warm test tube and carefully add 25 ml of boiling distilled water along the sides of the test tube.

·         Keep on shaking the tube lightly from side to side during the addition.

·         The turbidity indicates presence of Mineral oil, the depth of turbidity depends on the percentage of mineral oil present.

Note: This method is not applicable on high content un-saponifiable value and below 1% content of Mineral oil.

Reference: A.O.A.C 17^th edition 2000, official method 945.102


Adulteration In Milk & Milk Products - Chapter - 5

5.1. Detection Synthetic Milk & Protein in Milk and Their Health Effect:

•      Synthetic milk has a bitter after taste, gives a soapy feeling on rubbing between the fingers and turns yellowish on heating.
•      The milk can easily be tested by Urease strips (available in the Medical stores) because Synthetic milk is devoid of protein.

Adulteration Check kit for Urea in Milk

Source / Purpose of Adulteration: 

Urea is used as synthetic protein, easily available on Agricultural store as a fertilizer/protein
is calculated by  % of Nitrogen present in milk, due to the presence of Nitrogen of Urea, on
analysis milk given higher value than actual value, that’s why milk supplier mix urea.

Loss/Health Effect: 

Failure of Kidney, Damage Heart and Liver.


5.2. Detection of Formalin in Milk:

Formalin in Milk

• Take 10 ml of milk in a tests tube and add 5 ml of concentrated sulphuric acid from the sides of the wall without shaking.
• If a violet or blue ring appears at the intersection of two layers then it shows presence of formalin.

Adulterant / Purpose of Adulteration: 
Formalin chemical available at chemical supplier for the purpose of preservation of dead materials/ Formalin enhances the life of milk and thus is added for preservation purpose.

Loss/Health Effect: Irritation and cancer.



Left- Preservation, Right- Analysis of Formalin

________________________________________________

Detection of Vegetable oil (Vanaspati) in Milk #

• Take 3 ml of milk in a test tube.
• Add 10 drops of hydrochloric acid. Mix up one teaspoonful of sugar.
• After 5 minutes, examine the mixture.
• The red colouration indicates the presence of Vegetable oil in the milk.

Loss/Health Effect: Monetary loss, elevate cholestrol, diabetes and coronary ailments.

Source/ Purpose of Adulteration:Vegetable oil / Decrease the Manufacturing cost and increase fat %.
_______________________________________________

Detection of Urea in Milk #

• Take a full teaspoon of milk in a test tube.
• Add ½ teaspoon of soybean or arhar /Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) powder.
• Mix up the contents thoroughly by shaking the test tube.
• After 5 minutes, dip a red litmus paper in it. Remove the paper after 30 seconds.
• A change in colour from red to blue indicates the presence of urea in milk.

Source / Purpose of Adulteration: Urea is easily available on Agricultural store as a fertilizer/ The Protein content is calculated by converting Nitrogen present in a milk. Urea being a rich source of Nitrogen is generally used to increase protein content in the milk. On testing protein coming from Urea will make a milk look as it contains lot of proteins.

Loss/Health Effect: Failure of Kidney, Damage Heart and Liver

________________________________________________

Detection of Added Starch in Milk #

• Take full tea spoon (2 ml) milk in test tube.
• Add 2-5 drops of Iodine tincture or Iodine solution.
• Within few second formation of blue color indicates the presence of added starch in milk.
• The solution of iodine is easily available in the medical stores.

Source / Purpose of Adulteration: Starch is easily available at departmental store / Increase the Thickness of Milk and give Pseudo filling of higher quality milk.

Loss/Health Effect: Dental caries, Excessive intakes may displace nutrients and contribute to Obesity. Monetary loss.

  

________________________________________________

Detection of Excess Water an adulterant in Milk #

• One drop of milk putting an upper portion of polished slanting surface.
• A drop of pure milk flows slowly and leaving a white trail behind it.
• Whereas milk adulterated with water will flow immediately without leaving a mark or light mark.

 Source/ Purpose of Adulteration: Tap Water(may be contaminated) / To Increase the volume of Milk.

Loss/Health Effect: Monetary loss, Contamination with water

________________________________________________

Detection of Mashed Potatoes and Other starches in Desi    Ghee #

Mashed Potato

• The presence of mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes in a sample of ghee can easily be detected by adding a few drops of Iodine, 
• which is brownish in colour turns to blue if mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes/other starches are present.

_____________________________________________

Detection of Blotting paper in Rabri #

• Take a teaspoon of rabri in a test tube. Add 3 ml of hydrochloric acid and 3 ml of distilled water. 
• Stir the content with a glass rod. Remove the rod and examine. 
• Presence of fine fibres to the glass rod will indicate the presence of blotting paper in rabri.

blotting paper as adulterant in Rabri

_____________________________________________

Detection of Vegetable oil in Sweet Curd # 

• Take 1 teaspoon full of curd in a test tube. 
• Add 10 drops of hydrochloric acid. Mix up the contents shaking the test tube gently.
•  After 5 minutes, examine the mixture. The red colouration indicates the presence of vanaspati in the curd.

Red- positive                  Negative                            

_____________________________________________

Detection of Vanaspathy or Margarine in Desi Ghee and Butter #

• Take about one tea spoon full of melted sample of Ghee with equal quantity of concentrated Hydrochloric acid in a stoppered test tube and add to it a pinch of sugar. 
• Shake for one minute and let it for five minutes. Appearance of crimson colour in lower (acid) of Vanaspati or Margarine.
• The test is specific for seasame oil which is compulsorily added to Vanaspati and Mrgarine. Some coal tar colours also give a positive test. 
• If the test is positive i.e. red colour develops only by adding strong Hydrochloric acid (without adding crystals of sugar) then the sample is adulterated with coal tar dye. 
• If the crimson or red colour develops after adding and shaking with sugar, then alone Vanaspati or Margarine is present.

_____________________________________________

Detection Coal Tar Dye in Ghee, Cheese, Khoa, Condensed milk & Powder #

• Add 5 ml of dil. H2SO4 or concentrated HCL to one teaspoon full of melted sample in a test tube. Shake well.
• Pink colour (in case of H2SO4) or crimson colour (in case of HCl) indicates coal tar dyes.
• If HCl does not give colour dilute it with water to get the colour.



Coal Tar Dye

Adulterant / Purpose of Adulteration: Coal tar Dye easily available at department store / Color make the product attractive and look like Pure product.

Loss/Health Effect: Brain Disorder and cancer.