FOOD ADULTERATION

 Introduction

Food adulteration is something added to food item which is inferior in quality or make it impure with the intention of making more profit. 

Or something is removed from food item which reduce its quality is also food adulteration.

 Any substance which is used to adulterate a particular item of food is called an adulterant.

Adulterated food may only make us undergo a monetary loss by making us pay for the rubbish that is added to food. However, it may actually endanger health.

In this blog we will learn about common adulterant and their negative effects on health.

Common Adulterants and their Health Hazards

Adulterant need not always be harmful like sometimes shopkeeper mixes poor quality of rice to good one.

Poor rice will not harm us but we do not get full value for our money. But many adulterants cause harm to our health.

Sand, marble chips, gravel and earth

These all mostly added to grains, pulses, coriander seeds, rice, etc.. If ingested they can upset the digestive system besides being carriers of infection. They are extremely unpleasant in the mouth and can hurt the teeth and the gums.

Water

Water is mostly used to adulterate milk they added to it so that volume increases and remove the cream without consumer knowledge. Generally the source of water is not clean and can cause infection. 

Petroleum oils

Petroleum oil is used for adulterating edible oils. Sometimes they uses motor oil which is very toxic and can cause cancer.

Mineral oils

Mineral oil is used for coating black pepper to prevent fungal growth. These can be serious health hazards as some mineral oils are toxic for our health and contains compound capable of causing cancer.

Argemone seeds and oils

Argemone is a yellow flowered plant look like the poppy with bluish , silver-veined leaves. It resemble mustard seeds and they are mixed with them during extraction of mustard oil. Both the seed and oil are very toxic and the consumer can lose his/her eye sight and develop a condition called epidemic dropsy.

Papaya seeds

Papaya seeds are used to adulterate black pepper.

Talc

Talc is used to polish pulses. It has been linked to stomach cancer.

Washing soda or all purpose flour

Both are used to adulterate icing sugar.

Metanil yellow and lead chromate

Both are used to give color to turmeric. These are highly poisonous. Metanil yellow affects the reproductive organ and can cause sterility and can also cause stomach trouble and cancer. Lead chromate can cause anemia, paralysis and brain damage specially in children.

Malachite green

Malachite green is used to color dried peas a bright green so that they look like fresh pea. This can cause cancer and abnormalities in vital organ such as spleen, kidney and liver. 

Colored saw dust

Colored saw dust is used to adulterate red chilly powder. This can cause infection and can upset digestion.

Simple Tests to Detect Adulteration

Detecting the presence of excess water in milk

This can be done by measuring the specific gravity of the milk with small gadget called lactometer.

Detecting fine sand or semolina in fine-grained sugar or salt

Stir a little of sample into a glass of clean water. The sugar and salt will dissolve leaving a residue of sand and semolina at the bottom.

Detecting sand or dirt in jaggery

Boil a little jaggery in water it will dissolve leaving the sand and dirt at bottom.

Detecting adulteration of black pepper with papaya seeds

Put a sample in glass of water papaya seeds will float whereas pepper will settle down.

Conclusion

Our health is directly linked to the food we eat. If we will eat the food that is mix with chemicals and artificial colors it will definitely harm our health. So while buying the food items do not buy loose spices and oils. Do your grocery shopping from familiar shops or cooperative stores.