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OBJECTIVES
 INTRODUCTION

 TYPES OF ADULTERANT
 CATEGORIES OF FOOD ADULTERATION
 ANALYSIS OF ADULTERANTS IN FOOD STUFFS
 HARMFULL EFFECTS OF FOOD ADULTERATION
 CONTROL APPROACHES
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCE
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 INTRODUCTION:-

 Adulterant usage was first discovered in 1820 by the German Chemist

Friedrich Accum.
 He identified many toxic metal colorings in food and drinks.
 Adulteration of food cheats the consumer and poses a serious risk to health.
 In the past few decades adulteration of food become a serious problem.
 Food adulteration is a threat which silently kills the healthy society.
 Food is adulterated to increase the quantity and make more profit.

FRIEDRICH ACCUM

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 FOOD:

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. Usually of plant
and animal origin. Contain nutrients such as carbohydrates, protiens, lipids, etc.
e.g. rice ,wheat, fruits, meat. etc.
ADULTERANT:
An adulterant is any substance found within other substance which is added to
reduce the amount of expensive products, which is not allowed for legal reasons
FOOD ADULTERATION:
It refers to the intentional addition of some unwanted substances to food or the removal of
valuable substances from food.
e.g. roasted chicory roots are added to coffee, diethylene glycol used in sweet wines
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 TYPES OF ADULTERANT:

Intentional adulterants Sand, marble chips, stones, mud, talc, chalk powder, water, mineral
oil, harmful color.

Incidental adulterants Pesticide residues , droppings of rodents, larvae in foods.

Metallic adulterants Arsenic from pesticides, lead from water, effluent from industries, tin
from cans.

CATEGORIES OF FOOD ADULTERATION:-

Replacement Complete or partial replacement of a food ingredient or valuable , authentic

constituent with less expensive substituent.

Addition Addition of small amount of non authenticated substances

Removal Removal of authentic and valuable constituent without purchaser

knowledge.
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 ANALYSIS OF ADULTERANTS IN FOOD STUFFS:

MILK:

ADULTERANTS ANALYSIS

WATER The presence of water can be analyzed by putting a drop of milk on a

polished slanting surface. The drop of pure milk flow slowly leaving a
white mark behind it. Adulterated milk flow immediately without leaving
a mark.

UREA 2 ml of milk is taken in a test tube. Added half spatula of arhar powder.
Contents are mixed thoroughly by shaking . After 5 minutes a red litmus
paper is dipped for 30 seconds, change in color from red to blue indicates
the presence of urea.

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Starch 2 ml of milk is taken in a test tube and added few
drops of iodine solution. Formation of blue color
indicates the presence of starch.

Formalin(aq. solution of HCHO) 10 ml of milk is taken in a test tube and added 5ml of
concentrated sulphuric acid from the side of the test tube
without shaking . If a violet blue ring appears at the
intersection of two layers then it shows the presence of
formalin.

Vanaspati 3 ml of milk is taken in a test tube and added 10

drops of hydrochloric acid, also added one spatula
of sugar. The red coloration after 5 minutes
indicates the presence of vanaspati.
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 MILK PRODUCTS:-
FOOD STUFF ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

Ghee, Cottage cheese, Coal tar dyes 5 ml of dil.H2SO4 or conc.HCl is added to one
Khoa,Condensed milk, Milk teaspoonful of melted sample taken in a test tube
powder and shaken well. Pink color (in case of H2SO4)or
crimson color(in case of HCl) indicates the
presence of coal tar dyes.

Ghee Vanaspati or margarine One teaspoonful of melted sample is taken and

added equal quantity of conc.HCl to it. Added a
pinch of sugar ,shaken for one minute and kept
aside for 5 minutes. Appearance of crimson color
indicates the presence of vanaspati or margarine.

Rabri Blotting paper Small amount of rabri is taken and added 3 ml of

conc.HCl and stirred well using a glass rod.
Presence of fine fibers on glass rod indicates the
presence of blotting paper.
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 OILS AND FATS:-
FOOD STUFF ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

Edible oil Castor oil A small quantity of sample is dissolved in

petroleum ether. Acidified with HCl, Few
drops of ammonium molybdate is added
and shaken well. Appearance of white
turbidity indicates the presence of castor
oil.

Linseed oil A small amount of sample is treated with

solution of bromine in CCl4. yellow
precipitate indicates the presence of
linseed oil.

Prohibited color 5ml of the sample is taken in a test tube

added 5ml of conc.HCl, shaken gently.
Kept aside for 5 minutes, color will
separate in the upper layer of the
solution.
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Coconut oil Cyanide derivatives 3 ml of the sample is taken in a test
tube,10 drops of alcoholic potash is added
and heated, a little amount of FeSO4 and
Fe3Cl is added and shaken thoroughly. 3
ml of HCl is added, a blue color indicates
the presence of cyanide.

Other oil A small bottle of oil is placed in a

refrigerator. Coconut oil solidifies leaving
the adulterant as a separate layer.

Mustard oil Argemone oil Little amount of sample is taken in a test

tube and added 20 drops of nitric acid.
The test tube is heated for 3 minutes. A
red coloration indicates the Argemone oil.

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 SWEETENING AGENTS:-
FOOD STUFF ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

Sugar Chalk powder 10g of sample is dissolved in a 50 ml

of water allowed for settling, chalk
will settle down at the bottom.

Urea If Urea is present it gives the smell

of ammonia when dissolved in water.

Honey Sugar solution Cotton wick is dipped in honey and

burnt over flame. The presence of
water will not allow honey to burn
and it will produce cracking sound.
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Jaggery Washing soda Small amount of Jaggery solution is
taken and added few drops of
conc.HCl. Formation of
effervescence shows the presence of
washing soda.

Chalk powder Few drops of conc.HCl is added to

the Jaggery solution, formation of
effervescence indicates the presence
of chalk powder.

Metanil yellow Small amount of Jaggery is taken in

a test tube. Added 3ml of alcohol and
test tube is shaken well ,10 drops of
HCl is added. A pink coloration
indicates the presence of Metanil
yellow.
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 BEVARAGES:
FOOD STUFF ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

Coffee powder Cereal starch Small quantity of a sample is taken in a test tube, and added
3ml of distilled water. The contents are heated until the
solution become colored. Then added 33ml of a solution of
KMnO4 and Muriatic acid(1:1)to decolorize the mixture. Few
drops of 1% aqueous iodine solution is added. Formation of
blue color indicates the presence of starch.

Scorched persimmon Small quantity of the sample is spread over a moistened

blotting paper.3ml of 2% aqueous solution of Na2CO3 is
poured carefully, a red coloration indicates the presence of
scorched persimmon powder.

Tea leaves Iron flakes Small quantity of the sample is spread over a paper, a
magnet was drawn over it, if iron flakes are present
clings to the magnet.
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 CEREALS AND PULSES:-
FOOD STUFF ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

Wheat, Rice, Maize, Bajra Jawar, Chana, Pebble stone, Dust, Straw, Damaged These adulterants may be examined
Barley grain, etc.. visually.

Rice, Maida Boric Acid Small amount of sample is taken and

added some water and shaken well.
added few drops of conc.HCl.
A turmeric paper strip is dipped. If it
turns red it confirms the presence of
boric acid.

Pulses Lead chromate 5g of pulse is shaken with 5ml of water

and added a few drops of HCl.
Formation of pink color indicates the
presence of lead chromate.

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 SPICES AND CONDIMENTS:
FOOD STUFF ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

Black pepper Papaya seeds Papaya seeds can be separated out from pepper as
they are shrunken, oval in shape and greenish
brown or brownish black in color.

Coated with mineral oil Black pepper coated with mineral oil gives kerosene like
smell.

Cloves Volatile oil Exhausted cloves can be identified by its small size
and shrunken appearance. The characteristic smell
of genuine clove is less pronounced in exhausted
cloves.

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Turmeric powder Colored saw dust Small amount of sample is taken in a test tube, added few
drops of conc.HCl. The pink color is observed. Indicates
saw dust. If the color is persist for a long time it also
indicates the presence of Metanil yellow.

Lead chromate The sample is dissolved in dil. HCl. Then H2S gas is
passed into the solution. Black precipitate indicates
the presence of Lead chromate.

Asafetida (hing) Soap stone or earthy material Little portion of the sample is shaken with water and
allowed to settle. If soap stone or earthy material
present will settle at the bottom

Chilly powder Sudan III 1g of chilly powder is taken in a test tube and added 2ml of
hexane and shaken well, Clear decant solution is transferred
to another test tube.2ml of aceto nitrile is added and shaken
well. The appearance of red color in the lower aceto nitrile
layer indicates the presence of Sudan III.
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 OTHER PRODUCTS:-
FOOD STUFF ADULTERANT ANALYSIS

Processed food, sweets, meat, Rhodamine B color Little amount of sample is taken in a test tube. Added 3ml of
syrup CCl4 and it is shaken thoroughly ,The mixture becomes color
less and addition of a drop of conc.HCl brings the color back
if rhodamine B is present.

Vinegar Mineral acid Few drops of vinegar is added to metanill yellow indicator
paper, the color changes from yellow to pink.

Iodized salt Common salt A piece of potato is taken and added salt to it, after a minute
two drops of lime juice is added, In case of iodized salt blue
color will develop in case of common salt there will be no
coloration.
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Meat Potassium nitrate The little amount of the meat is treated with 2to3 ml
of 1% diphenylamine solution in conc.H2SO4. If a
nitrate is present a deep blue color forms instantly,
which is not obscured by the charring effect of acid.

Sodium nitrite A small amount of sample is treated with zinc and

acetic acid and then with acetone. Yellow coloration
confirms the presence of sodium nitrite
contamination.

Sulfurous acid 40to50 grams of meat is digested in hot water. Digested

meat is treated with 10ml glacial phosphoric acid to
coagulate the proteins. Filtered through a cotton bag and the
filtrate is transferred to a short necked flask and distilled.
The first part of the distillation is received in solution of
iodine. The solution is boiled and barium chloride is
added. If sulfurous acid is present it will be oxidized to
sulphuric acid and precipitated as barium sulphate by
barium chloride.

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 HARMFULL EFFECTS OF FOOD ADULTERATION
The adulterants are sure to bring about biochemical disorders, there by physiological disorder arise.
Argemone oil Loss of eye sight, heart ailments, tumor's.

Mineral oil Liver damage, carcinogenic effects.

Vanaspathi Liver disorders, stomach pain

Saw dust, colorants Liver disorders

Toxic dyes Carcinogenic effects

Resins Allergy, dysentery

Metanil yellow Toxic , carcinogenic

Washing soda Diarrhoea, vomiting

Chicory Deprived from nutritional value

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EFFECTS OF ADULTERATION
ON HUMANS
 CONTROL APPROACHES:
Proper understanding of the adulteration issues.

By knowing the difference between the natural and aesthetic attributes [texture, appearance &
taste] of foods and accepting the natural ones to the extent possible.

By developing validated simple, quick and authentic test procedures to scan the ingredients,
additives & processing aids for positive clearance.

Stipulating the practically feasible rules, requirements and regulations on the adulterants and
updating them at regular intervals.

Through regular update of information regarding reported outbreaks of food safety issues
pertaining to adulteration.

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 ACTS AND AUTHORITIES:
PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION ACT:-

 It came into existence on 1954

 The act concerns about public health and safety
 It mainly deals with the following aspects
To protect the public from poisonous and harmful foods
To prevent the sale of substandard foods
To protect the interests of the consumers by eliminating fraudulent practices
The act says that the ministry of health and family welfare is responsible
for ensuring safe food to the consumers

Food Safety and Standards authority of India(FSSAI):-

 It is an agency of the ministry of health and family welfare.

 It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health trough the regulation and supervision of food safety.
It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act
 It has its headquarters at new Delhi and 8 regional offices located in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata and
Chennai. Lucknow, Cochin, Chandigarh,
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 CONCLUSION:

Food is the basic need for life. Without food there is no life.
Food supplies proper amount of nutrients required for the biochemical process in our body.
Food adulteration is a inhuman act by vendors for the sake of profit.
Which is a big threat to human society. The adulterants effects the health of the people
seriously.
There us an underlying need for increasing the number of food testing laboratories with
highly useful chemical analysis methods.
The adulteration can also be bring down by educating the public to identify adulteration.

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 REFERENCE:

 Introduction to Food Chemistry by Suresh Gopalani, cyber tech publications, 2012 edition
page no: 2, 5, 15, 133, 197,
Food Processing Industries by Suresh Chand. Small Industry Research Institute Delhi.
Page no: 248-252
FOOD CHEMISTRY Edited by M A Khan. Omega publications Delhi.2011. Page no: 95-98
Food contaminants Origin Propagation Analysis by S N Mahindru. A.P.H Publishing
Corporation, New Delhi.2004
 FOOD CHEMISTRY by Alex V Ramani. MJP Publishers Chennai.2009

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