Fool adulteration is common in India and has now become a burning problem.
From loose and packaged ground spices and grains to wet produce such as milk, khoya & almost everything you are buying is adulterated. Few simple tests can detect adulterant found in common foodstuff.
RICE
Adulterant: Metanil yellow or turmeric
Effects: Cancer, Anemia, Paralysis
Test: Take some rice and sprinkle a small amount of soaked lime on it for some time. The rice grains will turn red if turmeric present.
SUGAR
Adulterant: Chalk powder
Effects: Stomach disorder
Test: Dissolve 10gm sugar in one glass of water, allow setting, chalk will settle down at the bottom.
TURMERIC & MIXED SPICES
Adulterant: Metanil yellow, lead chromate
Effects: Anemia, abortion, paralysis, brain damage
Test: Add a few drops of HCL to the extract of turmeric from water. Instant appearance of violet, if the color persists when diluted with water indicates the presence of metanil yellow.
RED CHILLI POWDER
Adulterant: Brick powder, salt powder or talc
Effects: Stomach disorders
Test: A teaspoon of chilli powder in a beaker filled with water. Colored water shows the presence of artificial color.
BLACK PEPPER
Adulterant: Papaya seeds (used to add bulk)
Effects: Liver problems & Stomach disorders
Test: Papaya seeds can be separated out from pepper as they are shrunken (Oval in shape and greenish brown or brownish black in color.)
STARCH, CAUSTIC SODA IN MILK
Milk is mostly diluted with water, Sometimes, adulterators use starch, caustic soda, urea, sugar, hydrated lime, formaline, ammonium sulfate and sodium carbonate, to make milk thicker, Take 10-15 ml of milk, add same quantitiy of alcohol to it followed by 5-10 drops of rosalic acid, If the milk is adulterated then it will change its color to pinkish red. If milk is adulterated with starch, it turns blue.
HIGH FRUCTOSE IN HONEY
High Fructose can increase sugar levels. It can cause stomach disorders. A cotton wick dipped in pure honey when lighted with a match stick burns and shows the purity of honey. If adulterated, the presence of water will not allow the honey to burn.
CHICORY, TAMARIND IN COFFEE
Shake a small portion in cold water. Coffee will float while the chicory will sink staining the water a brownish red. The adulteration may lead to diarhea, stomach giddiness & joint pains.
COLORED AND USED LEAVES IN TEA
Drinking adulterated tea can cause cancer. Rub leaves on paper, artificial colors comes out on paper. Tea leaves sprinkled on wet filter paper. Pink or red spots on paper show color.
WASHING POWDER IN ICE CREAM
If you eat adulterated ice cream, you may suffer from severe stomach and liver disorders. To check this, put some lemon juice, bubbles are observed in the presence of washing powder.
STARCH IN KHOYA AND PANEER
Take a small sample of the product in a test tube, add 20ml of water and bring to a boil. cool to room temperature and add a drop or two of iodine solution. If the solution turns blue, it marks the presence of starch. Starch may cause stomach disorders.
VANASPATI IN GHEE AND BUTTER
Take a small smount of desi ghee or butter in test tube. heat the test tube to melt the ghee. Add to an equal amount of conc. HCL and a small amount of sugar. Shake the contents vigorously for a minute and allow the tube to stand for about five minutes. Appearance of crimson color in the lower acid layer shows that vanaspati ghee has been mixed to desi ghee. This is not good for healthy anyway.
$325 billion The food and grocery market in India in 2011- 69 percent of all retail.
$425 billion The food and grocery market expected to grow by 2016
Chhattisgarh has the dubious distinction of ranking at the top from among states with high rate of food adulteration with 40% samples found contaminated by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
I am an Adulterator. A grocery shop and a sweet shop in Rajasthan have been meted out unique punishment by a court for adulteration, Besides imposing a fine of Rs. 1.10 Lakh on the two shops, the owners have been asked to put up boards at place which should be easily visible to customers. The boards will carry the words: "I am an adulterator".
The controversial advertisement for Sahara 'Q' Shop shows Sachin Tendulkar performing the last riges, Yuvraj Singh digging a grave and Virender Sehwag replacing a cradle with a hospital bed. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has raised objection to this 30-second advertisement resulting the advertisement edited out.
SAHARA Q SHOP claimed for the first time, offering completely adulteration free, 100% quality consumer merchandise products in 73 categories. Sahara India initially invested Rs. 3,000 crores to open 800 Sahara 'Q' Shops in 60 cities and towns across five states.
From loose and packaged ground spices and grains to wet produce such as milk, khoya & almost everything you are buying is adulterated. Few simple tests can detect adulterant found in common foodstuff.
RICE
Adulterant: Metanil yellow or turmeric
Effects: Cancer, Anemia, Paralysis
Test: Take some rice and sprinkle a small amount of soaked lime on it for some time. The rice grains will turn red if turmeric present.
SUGAR
Adulterant: Chalk powder
Effects: Stomach disorder
Test: Dissolve 10gm sugar in one glass of water, allow setting, chalk will settle down at the bottom.
TURMERIC & MIXED SPICES
Adulterant: Metanil yellow, lead chromate
Effects: Anemia, abortion, paralysis, brain damage
Test: Add a few drops of HCL to the extract of turmeric from water. Instant appearance of violet, if the color persists when diluted with water indicates the presence of metanil yellow.
RED CHILLI POWDER
Adulterant: Brick powder, salt powder or talc
Effects: Stomach disorders
Test: A teaspoon of chilli powder in a beaker filled with water. Colored water shows the presence of artificial color.
BLACK PEPPER
Adulterant: Papaya seeds (used to add bulk)
Effects: Liver problems & Stomach disorders
Test: Papaya seeds can be separated out from pepper as they are shrunken (Oval in shape and greenish brown or brownish black in color.)
STARCH, CAUSTIC SODA IN MILK
Milk is mostly diluted with water, Sometimes, adulterators use starch, caustic soda, urea, sugar, hydrated lime, formaline, ammonium sulfate and sodium carbonate, to make milk thicker, Take 10-15 ml of milk, add same quantitiy of alcohol to it followed by 5-10 drops of rosalic acid, If the milk is adulterated then it will change its color to pinkish red. If milk is adulterated with starch, it turns blue.
HIGH FRUCTOSE IN HONEY
High Fructose can increase sugar levels. It can cause stomach disorders. A cotton wick dipped in pure honey when lighted with a match stick burns and shows the purity of honey. If adulterated, the presence of water will not allow the honey to burn.
CHICORY, TAMARIND IN COFFEE
Shake a small portion in cold water. Coffee will float while the chicory will sink staining the water a brownish red. The adulteration may lead to diarhea, stomach giddiness & joint pains.
COLORED AND USED LEAVES IN TEA
Drinking adulterated tea can cause cancer. Rub leaves on paper, artificial colors comes out on paper. Tea leaves sprinkled on wet filter paper. Pink or red spots on paper show color.
WASHING POWDER IN ICE CREAM
If you eat adulterated ice cream, you may suffer from severe stomach and liver disorders. To check this, put some lemon juice, bubbles are observed in the presence of washing powder.
STARCH IN KHOYA AND PANEER
Take a small sample of the product in a test tube, add 20ml of water and bring to a boil. cool to room temperature and add a drop or two of iodine solution. If the solution turns blue, it marks the presence of starch. Starch may cause stomach disorders.
VANASPATI IN GHEE AND BUTTER
Take a small smount of desi ghee or butter in test tube. heat the test tube to melt the ghee. Add to an equal amount of conc. HCL and a small amount of sugar. Shake the contents vigorously for a minute and allow the tube to stand for about five minutes. Appearance of crimson color in the lower acid layer shows that vanaspati ghee has been mixed to desi ghee. This is not good for healthy anyway.
INTERESTING FACTS
$425 billion The food and grocery market expected to grow by 2016
Chhattisgarh has the dubious distinction of ranking at the top from among states with high rate of food adulteration with 40% samples found contaminated by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
I am an Adulterator. A grocery shop and a sweet shop in Rajasthan have been meted out unique punishment by a court for adulteration, Besides imposing a fine of Rs. 1.10 Lakh on the two shops, the owners have been asked to put up boards at place which should be easily visible to customers. The boards will carry the words: "I am an adulterator".
THE CONTROVERSIAL AD ON ADULTERATION
The controversial advertisement for Sahara 'Q' Shop shows Sachin Tendulkar performing the last riges, Yuvraj Singh digging a grave and Virender Sehwag replacing a cradle with a hospital bed. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has raised objection to this 30-second advertisement resulting the advertisement edited out.
SAHARA Q SHOP claimed for the first time, offering completely adulteration free, 100% quality consumer merchandise products in 73 categories. Sahara India initially invested Rs. 3,000 crores to open 800 Sahara 'Q' Shops in 60 cities and towns across five states.
HOW ADULTERATION AND CONTAMINATION IS DONE
- Genetic modification
- Processing contaminants
- Military sources
- Packaging materials (especially used for packaged foods)
- Hormones injected in animals, fruits and vegetables
- Agrochemicals (vis-a-vis fertilizers and pesticides)
- Heavy metals (such as mercury and lead)
- Increased industrial and manufacturing wastes (which eventually finds its way into the food chain)
- Unsafe sewage practices
- Bacterial Infection
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