Food adulteration refers to the process of lowering the quality of food by adding inferior substances or removing vital elements, which can make the food harmful to consume. This practice can be intentional or unintentional and typically aims to increase profit margins or extend the shelf life of food products.
Here are some key points about food adulteration
- Adding harmful or non-food substances to food items, such as adding water to milk, starch to butter, or artificial colours and flavours to enhance appearance.
- Replacing high-quality ingredients with cheaper alternatives, like using vanaspati in place of ghee, or mixing inferior grains with high-quality grains.
- Deliberately including contaminants like chalk powder in flour, or sand and stones in pulses to increase weight.
- Presence of pollutants like heavy metals (lead, mercury) in food due to environmental factors or agricultural practices.
To understand more about food adulteration, what are the most adulterated foods and how to identify them, OnlyMyHealth interacted with Abhilasha V, Chief Clinical Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bengaluru.
Explaining how adulterated foods can affect our health, Abhilasha said, “Adulterated foods can pose significant health risks, including food poisoning, allergic reactions, long-term health issues like cancer, and other chronic diseases. Specific adulterants like formalin, lead chromate, and synthetic milk can be highly toxic and pose serious health hazards.”
Most Adulterated Foods
Here are some of the foods listed down by Abhilasha, which are mostly adulterated and pose a risk to our health.
1. Milk
Adulterants: Water, detergent, synthetic milk, urea, starch, glucose, formalin.
Purpose: To increase volume and shelf life.
Also read: How Does Overuse Of Oxytocin For Milk Production Affect Our Health?
2. Honey
Adulterants: Sugar syrup, corn syrup, glucose, molasses, invert sugar.
Purpose: To increase quantity and reduce production costs.
3. Spices
Adulterants: Artificial colours, brick powder, lead chromate (in turmeric), starch, chalk powder, salt powder, sand (in chilli powder).
Purpose: To enhance colour, increase weight, and reduce costs.
4. Tea and Coffee
Adulterants: Used tea leaves, coloured leaves, chicory powder, tamarind seed powder, starch.
Purpose: To increase volume and reduce costs.
5. Vegetables
Adulterants: Artificial colours, Malachite green, pesticide residues.
Purpose: To enhance appearance and shelf life.
6. Fruits
Adulterants: Artificial ripening agents like calcium carbide, wax coating, sweetening agents.
Purpose: To hasten ripening and improve appearance.
7. Wheat and Other Grains
Adulterants: Starch, stone powder, dust, sand, synthetic color.
Purpose: To increase weight and volume.
8. Meat and Meat Products
Adulterants: Water, non-meat fillers (like soya), artificial color, preservatives.
Purpose: To increase weight and enhance appearance.
9. Oils and Fats
Adulterants: Argemone oil, mineral oil, castor oil, vanaspati, animal fats.
Purpose: To increase volume and reduce production costs.
10. Dairy Products (Cheese, Butter, Ghee)
Adulterants: Starch, vanaspati, synthetic milk, non-dairy fat.
Purpose: To increase volume and reduce costs.
Also read: Is Something Wrong In Your Food? Check These 5 Food Items For Food Adulteration This Way
How To Identify Adulterated Food
Here are some simple methods recommended by Abhilasha, to identify adulterated food items at home for the ten most commonly adulterated foods.
1. Milk
Test for Water and Detergent:
Water: Put a drop of milk on a polished surface. If it flows down without leaving a trail, water is present.
Detergent: Shake the milk vigorously. If it forms a dense lather, it may contain detergent.
2. Honey
Test for Sugar Syrup and Water:
Sugar Syrup: Add a few drops of honey to a glass of water. Pure honey will settle at the bottom, while adulterated honey will dissolve.
Water: Place a small amount of honey on your thumb. If it spreads, it is likely adulterated.
3. Spices (Turmeric, Chili Powder)
Test for Artificial Colors and Brick Powder:
Turmeric: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of warm water. Pure turmeric will settle at the bottom, leaving clear water. If it turns the water cloudy, it may contain adulterants.
Chili Powder: Sprinkle a small amount of chilli powder on water. Artificial colour will leave a red streak, while pure chilli powder will settle without streaking.
4. Tea and Coffee
Test for Used Leaves and Adulterants:
Tea: Spread a small quantity of tea leaves on wet blotting paper. If a yellow or orange stain appears, it indicates the presence of artificial colour.
Coffee: Sprinkle coffee powder on water. Pure coffee will float while adulterants will settle down.
5. Vegetables
Test for Artificial Colours:
Green Vegetables: Rub the surface of the vegetables with a cotton ball soaked in water or vegetable oil. If the cotton gets coloured, artificial dyes are present.
6. Fruits
Test for Artificial Ripening Agents:
Bananas: Put a few drops of water on the banana. If it turns brown where the water was applied, it indicates the presence of artificial ripening agents like calcium carbide.
7. Wheat and Other Grains
Test for Stones and Other Adulterants:
Wheat: Dissolve a tablespoon of wheat flour in water. Pure flour will settle at the bottom. If the water turns cloudy or contains residue, it indicates adulteration.
8. Meat and Meat Products
Test for Non-Meat Fillers:
Meat: Press the meat. If it feels excessively firm or rubbery, it may contain fillers. Also, pure meat should have a natural colour without any bright red or pink patches.
9. Oils and Fats
Test for Adulteration with Other Oils:
Coconut Oil: Refrigerate a small amount of coconut oil. Pure coconut oil solidifies, while adulterated oil remains liquid.
Other Oils: Pour a few drops of oil on your palm and rub it. Pure oil will be absorbed quickly, leaving no greasy residue.
10. Dairy Products (Cheese, Butter, Ghee)
Test for Adulterants:
Butter: Melt a small amount of butter in a spoon. Pure butter will melt quickly and turn brown, whereas adulterated butter will take longer and may leave white residue.
Ghee: Add a teaspoon of ghee to a pan and heat it. Pure ghee will melt and turn brown, whereas adulterated ghee will leave a layer of oil on top.
These home tests are simple and can help detect common adulterants. However, they may not detect all types of adulteration. For more accurate and comprehensive testing, it is advisable to use laboratory analysis or purchase food products from trusted and certified sources.
Conclusion
Avoiding adulterated food is crucial for maintaining health and well-being. Consuming adulterated food can lead to acute health issues like food poisoning, gastrointestinal issues, and allergic reactions. If consumed for a long term, adulterated food can also lead to chronic health problems like organ damage and cancer. Hence, it is advisable to check for adulteration for consuming the food.