Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control

Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

FOOD ADULTERATION

Introduction
India once stood top in the global market in the export of spices. But the scenario is
slowly changing in the recent past. Do you know why? Yes it is because of the decline in the
flavourful taste carried by the spices due to adulteration. Adulteration diminishes the quality of a
food. By the way it is also unethical as per the food laws and standards. Adulteration is
recognised since 1950s in Ancient Rome, in middle ages and till date. The allure of riches and
lethargy of the mankind has led to adulterants being added to food from the simple stones in
rice to the more harmful brick and boric powder in something else.

Objectives
After studying this chapter, the learner would be able to understand the
 concept of adulteration and adulterants
 effect of adulteration on human health
 common adulterants used and the test used to detect the adulterants
 Prevention of Food Adulteration Act

Definition
Adulteration of food can be defined as “the addition or subtraction of any substance to or from
food, so that the natural composition and quality of food substance is affected". An adulterant is
a substance which is used to adulterate the other. Adulterant is used in adulteration. Food
adulteration may occur at any stage of food processing from production to selling.

Types of food adulteration

The adulterated foods can be classified as
1. Intentional adulteration
2. Incidental adulteration
3. Natural adulteration
4. Metallic adulteration and
5. Packaging hazards

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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

1. Intentional adulteration
Those substances which are purposefully or intentionally added or a vital substance
removed from a food product such that its quality is lowered and can cause some injurious
effect on human health is known as intentional adulteration.
Examples are addition of sand, mud, marble chips, stones, other filth, talcum, chalk powder,
water, dyes, harmful colour, mineral oil etc. These substances have harmful effect on human
health.
 Sand, mud, marble chips, stones are added to cereals, grains, pulses and other similar
foods. These substances harbour certain bacteria and causes diseases or infections in
humans. They also affect the lining of the mouth, GI tract and weaken the teeth and
gums
 Talcum and chalk powder are added to wheat flour, rice flour, ground spices etc. Chalk
powder is added to sugar and sugar products. These powders add bulk to the diet and
causes irritation to the GI tract.
 Water and excess moisture are added foods like milk and milk products. If the water
added is contaminated it leads to gastro intestinal disturbances.
 Certain sweeteners like saccharin are added to honey. These sweeteners are also added
to bakery products, ice creams and other sweet products.
 Cheap oils, argemone oil, rancid and mineral oils are added to fats and oils. They impart
an unpleasant odour to the product.

2. Incidental adulteration
Adulterants that are found in food substances due to carelessness, negligence or due to
lack of proper storage facilities are known as incidental adulteration. Examples are Pesticide
residues tin from can, droppings of rodents, larvae in foods, etc…

Microbial contamination like bacterial and fungal contaminants also leads to health
hazards. Poor agricultural practices including harvesting, processing, transporting, storing may
favour the growth of bacteria and fungi in raw and processed foods. Few bacterial find its way to
the body through perishable foods like milk and its products, meat, poultry, egg, vegetables and
fruits and lead to nervous and gastro intestinal disturbances. These microbial contaminants also
change the sensory characteristics of the food impairing or diminishing the nutritive value.

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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

Foods are also exposed to rodents and pests which become harmful when consumed.
They contaminate the foods through the filth and dirt like body secretions, excreta, hair etc and
act as the carriers of disease causing micro organisms from environment to humans and vice
versa.

3. Natural adulteration
Presence of certain chemicals, organic compounds or radicals that naturally occur in
foods and are injurious to health but are not added to the foods intentionally or unintentionally
are known as natural adulteration. Examples are toxic varieties of pulses, mushrooms, green
and other vegetables, fish and seafood.

4. Metallic adulteration
Presence of certain metals beyond a certain concentration is injurious to health. In foods
they may occur either naturally or synthetically and are known as metallic adulteration.
Examples are arsenic from pesticides, lead from water, mercury from effluent, chemical
industries, tins from cans, copper, cadmium, etc.

5. Packaging hazards
Conventional materials used for packing foods which are still prevalent like tin, aluminium
containers, glass bottles, jars, aluminium containers, cardboard, paper, waxed paper, paper
cartons, plastic containers are also found to be hazardous. These lead, tin, aluminium
packaging materials are found to disturb the intestinal and renal functioning. Use of glass
containers may cause breakage while transportation and paper related packaging materials
may dwindle the natural resources. Other packaging materials used in recent years include
polyethylene, poly vinyl chloride and similar products which are non biodegradable have an
illustrious effect on the environment.

Economic Adulteration
If a valuable constituent of a food is omitted or substituted by another substance either in part or
a whole; conceals damage or inferiority in any manner i.e. like a food colouring of a fresh fruit
concealing the defects on the surface; addition or packaging of any substance in order to
increase the weight by reducing the quality or strength; or making it appear bigger in the
economic point of view is known as economic adulteration.
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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

Microbiological Contamination and Adulteration

If a food is contaminated with pathogenic micro organisms like bacteria, virus etc it may or may
render the food as adulterated. Presence of micro organisms on fresh fruits and in certain
ready to eat foods or perishable foods will render them adulterated. These RTE foods with
micro organisms are said to be adulterated. But the presence of pathogenic micro organisms
cannot be considered as adulterated because cooking or subjecting to high temperature might
kill the pathogens.

Food adulteration- a rising problem in India

The rate of adulteration in twice higher than that of the national average of 19 per cent, says
FSSAI. Food samples were tested ranging from oils, masala powders, pulses, sugar and its
products and ready to eat foods available in both small shops and departmental stores for the
standard of the product. The rate of adulteration in food samples tested revealed that there was
four times increase from 8.43 per cent in 2011-12 to 39.66 per cent in 2013-14. The common
products which are adulterated include milk products, cheese, ghee, tea, bottled water, chillies,
garlic, turmeric and black pepper etc. which are used in day to day life. Harmful chemicals are
also reported in dairy products and soft drinks. Other than pesticides, colouring agents,
flavourings, preservatives, emulsifying agents, stabilising agents also post health problems. Use
of carbides for the ripening of fruits is increasing the number of deaths every day.

Effect of adulteration on human health

Addition of adulterants are in one way beneficial to the producers / manufacturers though
harmful to the consumer because adulterants
 add bulk to the product
 reduce the cost
 add margin to the profit
 enrich the appearance to the added food product

Long term consumption of adulterated food has numerous implications on health. These may be
attributed to the minerals, chemicals, and poor quality substances added to the food.
 increases the impurities in foods
 lessens the nutritive value of the product
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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

 reduces the taste of food

 harbour disease causing bacteria
 affect the GI tract and cause stomach disorders
 cause cancer
 insomnia
 neurological problems
 liver disorder
 diarrhoea
 stomach disorder
 lathyrism
 vomiting
 dysentery
 joint pain
 heart diseases
 food poisoning etc.
 abortion
 weakens the immune system
 brain damage
 many mineral oils which when added to the food items can result in paralysis
 in pregnant women it might lead to brain damage of the baby.
 zinc substances result in vomiting and in severe cases to diarrhea.
 Food colors may lead to liver damage

Test for food adulteration

There are several to identify the adulterants present in food both at home scale level and
laboratory methods.
Food Adulterant Effect on Test
health
Wheat Ergot (fungi) Poisonous Soak bajra in 20 % salt solution. Bajra sink
Food grains to the bottom and some particle float
indicate the presence of ergot
Bengal gram Kesari dhal Lathyrism, Add 5 ml of water to 5 g of pulse with a few

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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

dhal Cancer of drops of HCl. Pink colouration indicates

Pulses the addition of metanil yellow and kesari
dhal
Coal tar dye Stomach pain, Unusual bright colour indicates the
ulcer presence of coal tar dye.
Milk Impure water Stomach Pour a small drop of milk in a slanting
Starch disorder surface. Pure milk leaves a white trail.
(thickening Add a drop of iodine to milk. Blue colour
agent) indicates the presence of starch.
Tea Processed used Liver disorder Moisten tea leaves and place on blotting
tea leaves and paper. The artificial colour will be imparted
colour to the paper
Coffee Tamarind seed Diarrhoea Keep coffee powder on blotting paper and
Date seed Stomach sprinkle potassium hydro chloride along
powder disorder with water. Brown colour edges are found
Chicory powder Giddiness Add coffee powder in water. Chicory seeds
Joint pain sinks to the bottom
Ice cream Washing soda Stomach Add a few drops of lemon juice to ice
disorder cream. Frothing indicates the presence of
washing soda in the ice cream
Khoa Starch Inferior nutritive Addition of iodine solution turns blue
Less fat content value indicates the presence of starch.
Edible oil Argemone oil Lose of Add nitric acid to mustard oil. Appearance
eyesight, heart of red colour indicates the presence of
diseases argemone oil.
Mineral oil Tumours Add equal quantity of oil and 0.2N potash
Damage to liver and heat in a boiling water both for 15
minutes. Addition of 10 ml water forms a
turbid solution if adulterated.
Castor oil Carcinogenic Add petroleum ether to oil and allow
effects cooling in ice salt mixture. Quick turbidity
Stomach indicates the presence of adulterant.

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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

problems
Butter / ghee Vanaspathi Indigestion Take equal quantities of butter / ghee and
HCl. Add few drops of furfural solution and
shake well. Pink colour is formed at the
bottom of the acid layer
Vanaspathi Cheap oil Gastro intestinal Add washing soda by mixing with water
disorders and allow to stand. Frothing on the top
indicates the presence of cheap oil.
Sugar Chalk powder Stomach Add a spoon of sugar in a glass of water.
disorder Chalk powder floats and sugar will sink to
the bottom.
Honey Molasses sugar Stomach Dip honey in a wick of cotton and burn with
and water disorder a match stick. Presence of water does not
allow the honey to burn.
Jaggery Metanil yellow Vomiting Make jaggery solution and add HCl to it.
Diarrhoea Magenta red indicates the presence of
metanil yellow.
Brown sugar Washing soda Vomiting Add HCl to brown sugar dissolved in
Chalk powder Diarrhoea water. Effervescence and turning of red
litmus to blue.
Sweets Metanil yellow Toxic and
Juices (non permitted carcinogenic
Jams colour)
Asafoetida Foreign resins Dysentery Add water to asafoetida. Milky solution
galbanum indicates the presence of adulterant.
Colophony
resin
Black pepper Papaya seeds Inferior quality Add a few pepper seeds to alcohol, you
can see Papaya seeds will sink.
Mustard Argemone Loss of eye Take few mustard seeds and crush them.
seeds seeds sight Actual mustard seeds will have a yellow
Heart diseases color inner area whereas its adulterant

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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

argemone seeds are not yellow in its inner

surface.
Cardamom Talc GI problems Rub well the cardamom in palm. Presence
of fine powder in the palm and fingers
indicate the presence of talc.
Turmeric Metanil yellow carcinogenic Add few drop of HCl to turmeric powder.
powder Instant appearance of violet colour on
dilution with water occurs. If the colour
persists indicates the presence of metanil
yellow
Cloves Cloves in which Cheating Aromatic taste feel in mouth indicates the
volatile oil is Waste of money removal of essential oils.
extracted
Chilli powder Tapioca starch Stomach Sprinkle chilli or turmeric powder in a glass
Brick powder disorder of water. Artificial colour forms colour
Saw dust Stomach streaks.
Artificial colour problems
cancer
Salt White stone Stomach Mix salt in a glass of water. Chalk powder
powder problems makes the water white colour or turbid.
Chalk powder
Supari Colour cancer
Saccharin
Carbonated Aluminium Stomach
beverages leaves disorder

Prevention
Prevention is better than to cure the condition. This can be ensured by taking small steps. For
example
 Purchasing ingredients in a reputed shop
 Checking whether the food samples in the outlets are periodically inspected by food
inspectors
 Maintenance of the cleanliness of the premises with no infestations
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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

 Checking the date of manufacture, date of expiry, source of the product etc
 Checking the intactness of the package
 Check the health condition of the local people whether they fall sick often
 Educate the community about the adulteration and cleanliness

Prevention of Food Adulteration Act

Health of the consumer is more importance. To protect consumer’s health the
Government of India promulgated the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act in the year 1954. The
act prohibits the manufacture, sale and distribution of not only adulterated foods but also foods
contaminated with toxicants and misbranded foods. Under this Act, a central food laboratory
was established at Calcutta, for reporting on suspected products. Central Food Technological
Research Institute at Mysore has been recognised as another laboratory for testing the
adulterated foods for Southern Regions. "A Central Committee for Food Standards" has been
constituted under the act for the appointment of Food Inspectors by the state governments and
their powers have been defined. The state government will set up food laboratory and will
appoint Public Analyst with adequate staff to report on suspected foods.
According to Indian Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 any ingredient which,
when present in food, is injurious to health is an adulterant. According to PFA, an article is
deemed to be adulterated if the article sold by a vendor is not of the nature, substance or quality
demanded by the purchaser and is to his prejudice, or is not of the nature, substance or quality
which it purports or represented to be;
a) the article contains any other substance which affects, or if the article is so processed as
to affect, injuriously the nature, substance or quality thereof;
b) any inferior or cheaper substance has been substituted wholly or in part for the article so
as to affect injuriously the nature, substance or quality thereof;
c) any constituent of the article has been wholly or in part abstracted so as to affect
injuriously the nature, substance or quality thereof;
d) the article had been prepared, packed or kept under insanitary conditions whereby it has
become contaminated or injurious to health ;
e) article consists wholly or in part of any filthy, putrid, rotten, decomposed or diseased
animal or vegetable substance or is insect-infested or is otherwise unfit for human
consumption;
f) the article is obtained from a diseased animal;
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Code and Title of the Paper: F02FQ Food Safety and Quality Control
Code and Title of the Module: F02FQ15 Food Adulteration
Name of the Content Writer: Dr. R. Balasasirekha

g) the article contains any poisonous or other ingredient which renders it injurious to health;
h) the container of the article is composed, whether wholly or in part, of any poisonous or
deleterious substance which renders its contents injurious to health;
i) any colouring matter other than that prescribed in respect thereof is present in the article,
or if the amounts of the prescribed colouring matter which is present in the article are not
within the prescribed limits of variability
j) the article contains any prohibited preservative or permitted preservative in excess of the
prescribed limits;
k) the quality or purity of the article falls below the prescribed standard or its constituents
are present in quantities not within the prescribed limits of variability, which renders it
injurious to health
l) the quality or purity of the article falls below the prescribed standard or its constituents
are present in quantities not within the prescribed limits of variability but which does not
render it injurious to health

Conclusion
In India, and other countries food adulteration is dangerously spreading as an emerging
threat to the society as a whole. This practice is done to increase the quantity and to make
profit. Deprivation of nutrients in the adulterated food is not looked upon by the shop keepers.
Particularly in rural areas people generally check only the cost and weight of the product. They
do not see the ingredients added, permitted levels, food additives, food colours etc. This might
be due to the ignorance and illiteracy. This practice is becoming rampant particularly in rural
areas. The shopkeepers, to increase the margin of profit, intentionally increase the weight of the
product by addition of adulterants and attract the customers through the products appearance.
The stakeholders and food safety officers should periodically check for the presence of
adulterants in food products. They should also educate the public at large on the health
implications of the adulterants and how it can be prevented and controlled.

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