This document discusses food adulteration, common adulterants in various foods, health effects of adulterants, and tests to detect adulteration. It provides examples of adulterants like water in milk, metals in spices, and chemical contaminants in oils that can cause issues like allergic reactions, poisoning, and cancer. Detection methods are suggested using reagents to identify adulterants by changes in color or other physical reactions. The document aims to help identify unsafe adulterated foods and preserve public health.

1. SMG BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

3. Food adulteration is defined as ‘the
intentional addition of non-permitted
foreign matter’.
Reasons for food adulteration are
To get more profit
To increase the weight, adulterant is
added.
To increase volume of trade by
showing lower prices.

4. Common adulterants present in food:
Milk - Addition of water/removal of fat.
Skim milk - soluble starch.
Cream -foreign fats.
Ghee -Hydrogenated fat/animal fat.
Vegetable oils -Cheap/non edible oil like linseed,
mineral oils.
Wheat and rice -stones
Bengal gram dhal -Kesari dhal.
Chilli powder- Starch colored red by tar dye.
Black pepper- Dried papaya seeds
Honey -colored sugar syrup.
Tea - exhausted tea leaves.

5. Food Contaminants as
Allergens
The Contaminants of food for
example preservatives, insecticides and
insect excreta or fragments may act as
allergens and the food by itself may be
harmless. The common additives include
color, flavoring materials, preservatives,
and insecticides, etc.
For example, Nordihydroguaiaretic acid
(N D G TA) is an antioxidant used in food
fats, which has been found to produce
allergic reactions in some individuals.

6. Allergic reaction arising
due to food allergy are of
2 types .
1.Immediate
reaction.2.Delayed
reaction.
Symptoms
Skin manifestations.
Examples include cancer
sores, purities, urinary

7. INJURIES DUE TO
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS
To prevent working injuries
throughout the Group, it is important to
maintain high priority on planning and
work with chemicals. A number of
ongoing projects are aimed at reducing
or eliminating the risks of handling
chemicals. The substitution principle,
i.e. replacing hazardous chemicals with
less hazardous ones, is an important
part of this risk prevention work. For
example, measures have been taken to
replace allergenic chemicals.

8. Foods Commonly Involved
Mustard seeds
Adulterants in food
• Argemone seeds
Diseases or Health Effects
• Epidemic dropsy,
• Glaucoma,
• Cardiac arrest
Test
• Add 5 ml, conc. HNO3 ­­to 5 ml.sample. Shake carefully.
Allow to separate yellow, orange yellow, crimson colour
in the lower acid layer indicates adulteration.

9. Foods Commonly Involved
Edible oils and fats
Adulterants in food
• Argemone oil
Diseases or Health Effects
• Epidemic dropsy,
• Glaucoma,
• Cardiac arrest
Test
• Add 5 ml, conc. HNO3 ­­to 5 ml.sample. Shake carefully.
Allow to separate yellow, orange yellow, crimson colour
in the lower acid layer indicates adulteration.

10. Foods Commonly Involved
Vegetable oil
• Castor oil
Test
•
Take 1 ml. of oil in a clean dry test tube. Add 10 ml. Of acidified
petroleum ether. Shake vigorously for 2 minutes. Add 1 drop of
Ammonium Molybdate reagent. The formation of turbidity indicates
presence of Castor oil in the sample.

11. Foods Commonly Involved
Ghee
• Mashed Potato
• Sweet Potato, etc.
Test
• Boil 5 ml. Of the sample in a test tube. Cool and a drop of
iodine solution. Blue colour indicates presence of Starch.
colour disappears on boiling & reappears on cooling.

12. Foods Commonly Involved
Ghee
• Vanaspati
Test
•
Take 5 ml. Of the sample in a test tube. Add 5 ml. Of Hydrochloric
acid and 0.4 ml of 2% furfural solution or sugar crystals. Insert the
glass stopper and shake for 2 minutes. Development of a pink or red
colour indicates presence of Vanaspati in Ghee.

13. Foods Commonly Involved
Ghee
• Rancid stuff (old ghee)
Test
•
Take one teaspoon of melted sample and 5 ml. Of HCl in a stoppered
glass tube. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Add 5 ml. Of 0.1% of
ether solution of Phloroglucinol. Restopper & shake for 30 seconds
and allow to stand for 10 minutes. A pink or red colour in the
lower(acid layer) indicates rancidity.

14. Foods Commonly Involved
Ghee
• Synthetic Colouring
Matter
Test
•
Pour 2 gms. Of filtered fat dissolved in ether. Divide into 2 portions.
Add 1 ml. Of HCl to one tube. Add 1 ml. Of 10% NaOH to the other
tube. Shake well and allow to stand. Presence of pink colour in acidic
solution or yellow colour in alkaline solution indicates added
colouring matter.

15. Foods Commonly Involved
Honey
• Invert sugar/jaggery
Test
•
Fiehe’s Test: Add 5 ml. Of solvent ether to 5 ml. Of honey. Shake
well and decant the ether layer in a petri dish. Evaporate completely by
blowing the ether layer. Add 2 to 3 ml. Of resorcinol (1 gm. Of
resorcinol resublimed in 5 ml. Of conc. HCl.) Appearance of cherry
red colour indicates presence of sugar/jaggery.

16. Foods Commonly Involved
Honey
• Invert sugar/jaggery
Test
•
Aniline Chloride Test : Take 5 ml. Of honey in a
porcelain dish. Add Aniline Chloride solution (3 ml of
Aniline and 7 ml. Of 1:3 HCl) and stir well. Orange red
colour indicates presence of sugar.

17. Foods Commonly Involved
As a substitute for cumin seed,
Poppy seed, black pepper
Adulterants in food
• Artificially coloured
foreign seeds
Diseases or Health Effects
• Injurious to health
Test
• Pour the seeds in a beaker containing Carbon
tetra-chloride. Black papaya seeds float on the top
while the pure black pepper seeds settle down.

18. Foods Commonly Involved
Tea
• Adulterants in food
•
leaves or
exhausted tea leaves, saw
dust artificially coloured
Foreign
Diseases or Health Effects
• injurious to health,
• cancer
Test
• Take a fillter paper and put some tea on it and add few
drops of cold water if artificially coloured the colour
will appear.

19. Foods Commonly Involved
Oils
Adulterants in food
• TCP
• Rancid oil
Diseases or Health Effects
• Paralysis
• Destroys vitamin A and E
Test

20. Foods Commonly Involved
Food grains, pulses etc.
Adulterants in food
• Sand, marble chips,
stones, filth
Diseases or Health Effects
• Damage digestive tract
Test
• Separate out the seeds by physical
examination.

21. Foods Commonly Involved
Khesari dal alone or
Mixed in other pulses
Diseases or Health Effects
• Lathyrism (crippling
spastic paraplegia)
Pulses/Besan
Adulterants in food
• Lathyrus sativus
Test
• Add 50 ml. Of dil.HCl to a small quantity of dal and keep
on simmering water for about 15 minutes. The pink colour,
if developed indicates the presence of Kesari dal.

22. Foods Commonly Involved
pulses
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Metanil Yellow(dye)
Test
• Add conc.HCl to a small quantity of dal in a little amount
of water. Immediate development of pink colour indicates
the presence of metanil yellow and similar colour dyes.

23. Foods Commonly Involved
pulses
Adulterants in food
• Lead Chromate
Diseases or Health Effects
• Anemia, abortion,
paralysis, brain damage
Test
• Shake 5 gm. Of pulse with 5 ml. Of water and add
a few drops of HCl. Pink colour indicates Lead
Chromate.

24. Foods Commonly Involved
Bajra
Adulterants in food
• Ergot infested Bajra
Diseases or Health Effects
• Ergotism (St.Anthony’s
fire-burning sensation in
extremities, itching of
skin, peripheral gangrene)
Test
• Swollen and black Ergot infested grains will turn
light in weight and will float also in water

25. Foods Commonly Involved
Wheat flour
Adulterants in food
• Excessive sand & dirt
Diseases or Health Effects
• Damage digestive tract
Test
• Shake a little quantity of sample with about 10
ml. Of Carbon tetra chloride and allow to stand.
Grit and sandy matter will collect at the bottom.

26. Foods Commonly Involved
Wheat flour
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Excessive bran
Test
• Sprinkle on water surface. Bran will float on the
surface.

27. Foods Commonly Involved
Wheat flour
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Chalk powder
Test
• Shake sample with dil.HCl Effervescence
indicates chalk.

28. Foods Commonly Involved
Common spices like Turmeric, chilly, curry
powder,etc.
Adulterants in food Diseases or Health Effects
• Colour
• Anemia, abortion,
paralysis, brain damage
• Cancer, orthiritis
Test
•
Extract the sample with Petroleum ether and add 13N H 2SO4 to the
extract. Appearance of red colour (which persists even upon adding
little distilled water) indicates the presence of added colours.
However, if the colour disappears upon adding distilled water the
sample is not adulterated.

29. Foods Commonly Involved
Spices(Ground)
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Powdered bran and saw
dust
Test
• Sprinkle on water surface. Powdered bran and
sawdust float on the surface.

30. Foods Commonly Involved
Coriander powder
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Dung powder
Test
• Soak in water. Dung will float and can be easily
detected by its foul smell.

31. Foods Commonly Involved
Coriander powder
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Common salt
Test
• To 5 ml. Of sample add a few drops of silver
nitrate. White precipitate indicates adulteration.

32. Foods Commonly Involved
Chillies
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Brick powder grit, sand,
dirt, filth, etc.
Test
• Pour the sample in a beaker containing a mixture
of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. Brick
powder and grit will settle at the bottom.

33. Foods Commonly Involved
Badi Elaichi seeds
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Choti Elaichi seeds
Test
• Separate out the seeds by physical examination.
The seeds of Badi Elaichi have nearly plain
surface without wrinkles or streaks while seeds of
cardamom have pitted or wrinkled ends.

34. Foods Commonly Involved
Edible oils and fats,
Black pepper
Adulterants in food
Chemical Contamination
• Mineral oil (white oil,
petroleum fractions)
Diseases or Health Effects
• Cancer
Test

35. Foods Commonly Involved
Turmeric whole and powdered,
mixed spices
Adulterants in food
• Lead chromate
Diseases or Health Effects
• Anemia, abortion,
paralysis, brain damage
Test
• Ash the sample. Dissolve it in 1:7 Sulphuric acid (H2SO4)
and filter. Add 1 or 2 drops of 0.1% dipenylcarbazide. A
pink colour indicates presence of Lead Chromate.

36. Foods Commonly Involved
Turmeric whole and powdered,
mixed spices
Adulterants in food
• Metanil Yellow
Diseases or Health Effects
• Cancer, ortheritis
Test
• Add few drops of conc.Hydrochloric acid (HCl) to sample.
Instant appearance of violet colour, which disappears on
dilution with water, indicates pure turmeric. If colour
persists Metanil yellow is present.

37. Foods Commonly Involved
Cumin seeds
(Black jeera)
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Grass seeds coloured
with charcoal dust
Test
• Rub the cumin seeds on palms. If palms turn black
adulteration in indicated.

38. Foods Commonly Involved
Asafoetida(Heeng)
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Soap stone, other earthy
matter
Test
• Shake a little quantity of powdered sample with
water. Soap stone or other earthy matter will settle
at the bottom.

39. Foods Commonly Involved
Asafoetida(Heeng)
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Chalk
Test
• Shake sample with Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).
Asafoetida will settle down. Decant the top layer and add
dil.HCl to the residue. Effervescence shows presence of
chalk.

40. Foods Commonly Involved
Foodgrains
Adulterants in food
Diseases or Health Effects
• Hidden insect infestation
Test
•
Take a filter paper impregnated with Ninhydrin (1% in alcohol.) Put
some grains on it and then fold the filter paper and crush the grains
with hammer. Spots of bluish purple colour indicate presence of
hidden insects infestation

41. Foods Commonly Involved
Alcoholic liquors
Adulterants in food
• Methanol
Diseases or Health Effects
• Blurred vision, blindness,
death

42. Foods Commonly Involved
Fruits such as apples sprayed over
with lead arsenate
Adulterants in food
• Cadmium
Diseases or Health Effects
• ‘Itai-itai (ouch-ouch)
disease, Increased
salivation, acute gastritis,
liver and kidney damage,
prostrate cancer

43. Foods Commonly Involved
Foods contaminated by rat poisons
(Barium carbonate)
Adulterants in food
• Barium
Diseases or Health Effects
• Violent peristalisis,
arterial hypertension,
muscular twitching,
convulsions, cardiac
disturbances

44. Foods Commonly Involved
Fruit juices, soft drinks, etc. in contact with
cadmium plated vessels or equipment. Cadmium
contaminated water and shell-fish
Adulterants in food
• Cadmium
Diseases or Health Effects
• ‘Itai-itai (ouch-ouch)
disease, Increased
salivation, acute gastritis,
liver and kidney damage,
prostrate cancer

45. Foods Commonly Involved
Water, liquors
Adulterants in food
• Cobalt
Diseases or Health Effects
• Cardiac insufficiency and
mycocardial failure

46. Foods Commonly Involved
Water, natural and processed food
Adulterants in food
• Lead
Diseases or Health Effects
• Lead poisoning (footdrop, insomnia, anemia,
constipation, mental
retardation, brain damage)
•

47. Foods Commonly Involved
Food
Adulterants in food
• Copper
• Tin
• Zinc
Diseases or Health Effects
• Vomiting, diarrhoea
• Colic, vomiting
• Colic, vomiting

48. Foods Commonly Involved
Mercury fungicide treated seed grains
or mercury contaminated fish
Adulterants in food
• Mercury
Diseases or Health Effects
• Brain damage, paralysis,
death

56. Detection Kit