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Updated on 23rd June, 2023 , 12 min read
Food is necessary for life to exist. We all eat food to obtain energy for various metabolic functions. Food is required by all living species for growth, labor, repair, and maintenance of life processes. There are several sorts of food available on the market today, and we all rely on diverse food sources on a regular basis, including vegetables, fruits, grains, pulses, legumes, and so on. We may have come across little stones in cereals and grains, darkly colored vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, fruits, dark red meat, and a variety of other items while shopping for fresh vegetables and other foods. One of today's significant issues is the adulteration or contamination of natural food items. Despite numerous actions and punishments, introducing adulterants is a frequent practice in underdeveloped nations. Natural items are adulterated in a variety of ways.
Food is an essential requirement for survival. Our bodies absorb the food we eat and use it to power metabolic processes and maintain life. Food is required for growth and other living functions. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, pulses, grains, and other foods are included in our regular diet. All of these are either eaten raw or prepared into delicacies and enjoyed. However, you may have seen extremely thin milk owing to water mixing, white, yellow, or black pebbles in raw pulses, white microscopic stones combined with rice, and so on. Adulteration occurs when ingredients are mixed with food. One of the man-made problems as we cope with overpopulation, environmental hazards, and decreasing natural resources is food adulteration. Food tampering has major consequences for human health. Despite different government restrictions, raising awareness about the dangers of food adulteration is a common activity in many nations. Food businesses use a variety of ways to adulterate food, including chemicals and synthetic chemicals.
Food adulteration is described as the activity of adulterating food or contaminating food ingredients by adding a few compounds known as adulterants. Adulterants are substances or low-quality goods that are added to food for economic and technical reasons. The addition of these adulterants decrease the nutritional content of food and also contaminate it, rendering it unfit for ingestion. These adulterants are potentially present in all food products we consume on a regular basis, including dairy products, cereals, legumes, grains, meat, vegetables, fruits, oils, drinks, and so on. Adulteration is a legal offense, and food is considered to be adulterated when it fails to fulfill the legal requirements imposed by the government. Food adulteration occurs when chemicals that decrease food quality are purposefully or inadvertently introduced to it. Thus, food adulteration is defined as the contamination or adulteration of food or food products by the addition of dangerous chemicals.
Some examples of food adulteration are given below-
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established in 2008 to oversee food hygiene and quality in India. It became operational in 2011 and has been in charge of regulating food safety in our country ever since. The FSSAI is headquartered in New Delhi. In addition, the authority maintains six regional offices in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Chennai. The organization was established in accordance with the FSS Act of 2006, prior to which several statutes and laws were handled by various ministries of government.
Adulterants are compounds that, when added to food, reduce its quality. It is a chemical present in other foods that degrades the inherent quality of the meal. The adulterant can exist in any form and amount. Adulterants are usually toxic and have the potential to reduce the potency of a substance. Even if the adulterant is not dangerous, it significantly diminishes the nutritional value of the meal. When some adulterants are exposed to them for an extended length of time, they are shown to be carcinogenic or deadly.
Some factors must be met in order to determine whether or not a food is contaminated. These points are summarised further below-
Food contamination or the addition of food components is a regular occurrence in underdeveloped nations. Milk, for example, can be diluted by adding water to increase its volume, and starch powder is frequently added to enhance its solid content.
The following are the most common reasons for food product adulteration-
Food adulteration may be classified into four forms, and they are as follows-
The following are some techniques of food adulteration-
The following is a list of a few adulterants found in food items, as well as their negative consequences-
Food Products |
Adulterants |
Harmful Effects |
Ghee, Cheese, and Butter |
Vanaspati, starch powder, and mashed potatoes |
Disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract and other stomach problems |
Pulses |
Lead chromate, dyes, and chemicals |
Stomach problems |
Mustard seeds |
Argemone seeds |
Constriction of the abdomen, sluggishness, and increased excretion |
Milk and Curd |
Starch powder and water |
Stomach problems |
Jaggery |
Chalk powder and washing soda |
Vomiting and other digestive issues |
Edible Oils |
Mineral oil, Karanja oil, castor oil, and artificial colors are all present |
Gallbladder cancer, allergies, paralysis, cardiac arrest, and elevated LDL cholesterol are all possibilities |
Coffee powder |
Chicory, powdered tamarind seeds |
Diarrhea |
Grains |
Dust, pebbles, stones, straw, weed seeds, damaged grain, and other debris |
Toxicity in the body, liver diseases, and so forth |
Tea |
Colorants that are synthetic |
Disorders of the liver |
Turmeric Powder |
Pesticide residues, sawdust, chalk dust, industrial dyes, metanil yellow color, arsenic, lead metal, and other contaminants are also present |
Cancer and stomach problems |
Pepper |
Blackberries with dried papaya seeds |
Allergic reactions can be severe, including stomach and skin discomfort |
Sugar |
Chalk powder, washing soda, urea, and so forth |
Kidney failure and stomach problems |
Cinnamon sticks |
The bark of Cassia. |
Damage to the liver, low blood sugar, mouth sores, and an increased risk of cancer |
Chilli and Coriander powder |
Redbrick powder, Rhodamine B dye, Red lead, dung powder, soluble salts, synthetic colors that dissolve in water, and other common salts |
Metal toxicity, cancer, lead poisoning, tumors, blood pressure fluctuations, and other stomach-related diseases |
Honey |
Molasses, dextrose, sugar, and corn syrups are all examples of sugar substitutes |
Stomach problems |
Tomato sauces |
Non-edible artificial colors and flavors, pumpkin pulp |
Gastritis and critical organ inflammation |
Cumin Seeds |
Grass seeds in various colors, sawdust, and charcoal dust |
Stomach problems |
Ice Cream |
ethyl acetate, butyraldehyde, nitrate, washing powder, pepper oil The gum is created by boiling various animal parts, such as the tail, udder, snout, and so on |
Terrifying illnesses that impact organs such as the lungs, kidneys, and heart |
Jam, Juice, and Candies |
Colors that are not authorized include metanil yellow and other artificial food dyes |
These colors are extremely carcinogenic and have the potential to induce several forms of cancer |
Fruits and Vegetables |
Malachite green, calcium carbide, copper sulphate, and oxytocin saccharin wax are all chemical colors |
Stomach problems, vomiting, and the colors used are all extremely carcinogenic |
Food adulteration has several negative health consequences. Prolonged intake of tainted food may potentially be deadly. Organic food, however, is not always accessible and is more expensive than regular vegetables due to low yield. As a result, it is critical to recognize if your food has been tainted. This may be accomplished using a variety of at-home approaches. For example, to see if the milk contains detergents, put some milk in a bottle with some water and shake it well. It is pure if it settles into a foamy layer. When milk is tainted, it develops a thick coating. Similarly, if you want to check if your milk, sugar, or jaggery is contaminated with chalk powder, mix it in a glass of water. Any precipitate at the glass's bottom shows the presence of chalk. To test if the veggies have been polished with color, soak them in water for a few minutes and watch the color dissolve in the water.
The following are some steps to prevent food adulteration-
For many years, you may have seen the habit of adding water to milk in order to enhance its quantity and benefit from a less volume of milk. Food adulteration is used as part of a corporate plan to increase profits through less expensive techniques.
FSSAI has verified certain common rapid tests covering physical, chemical, and sensory adulteration in various food goods under Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test (DART). The following are some food adulteration tests-
Here are some precautions to take to avoid adulteration-
The following are some advances in the detection of food adulteration-
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By - Nikita Parmar 2024-09-06 10:59:22 , 6 min readAns. Food adulteration is the insertion of any material by any method that changes the quality of food. The material that is introduced is known as an adulterant. Mixing fresh and low-quality foods is also considered adulteration.
Ans. The abbreviation for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. It is responsible for regulating the manufacture, distribution, sale, and import of "organic foods," according to Section 22 of the Food Safety Standards Act of 2006.
Ans. A few simple home tests might help determine whether the milk is tainted. This includes shaking and mixing the milk and looking for precipitates to confirm the presence of chalk powder. A frothy layer shows the presence of detergent, but a very light and free-flowing drop of the sample suggests that the milk has been contaminated with water.
Ans. IR Spectroscopy with Chemometrics, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Biosensors, Electronic Nose and Optoelectronic Sensing.
Ans. Dissolve coffee powder in water; coffee powder contaminated with clay particles or chicory will sink at the bottom. Place a little number of tea leaves on a glass plate and move the magnet; iron fillings will be visible on the magnet, allowing adulteration to be detected, like this we can test food adulterants in Beverages.