Food adulteration

WELCOME

Food Adulteration

Barkath T N

Module Objectives

AdulterationFood AdulterationAdulterantsEffects of food adulterationDetection of food adulterationAdulteration and LawQuestions

What is Adulteration?

• Reducing the purity of an article by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance

Food Adulteration

• The process of lowering the nutritive value of food either by removing a vital component or by adding substances of inferior quality, is called food adulteration.

• The substance that is used to lower the quality is known as adulterant.

Common Adulterants• Food grains and grams- marble pieces, sand particles, clay gilts, soap stone pieces.• Pulses- kesari dhal – Colours• Wheat flow Maida-powdered lime – talcum powder• Turmeric powder (Haldi)- metanil yellow• Pepper- dry papaya seeds• Chilli powder- coloured saw dust• Sweets- colours not permitted• Honey- jaggery – sugar• Tea- coloured tea leaves after removing the essence

Effects of adulteration on humans

• Symptoms like headache, gastro-intestinal disorders, muscular pain, drowsiness etc. appear, if adulterated food substances are used regularly.

How dangerous are these adulterants??

• The argemone oil used to adulterate ghee and butter is highly toxic. It causes a disease known as dropsy. Watery fluid collecting in some parts of the body is the main symptom. It affects the normal functioning of the body. It may also paralyse the limbs.

• Metanil yellow used to brighten the colour of pulses, turmeric powder and sweet meats is a coal-tar dye. It may cause cancer.

• Washing soda often added to powdered sugar and other food items, may cause intestinal disorders.

• Food items prepared under unhygienic conditions and stale foods cause food poisoning.

Detection of food adulteration

• Tea powder and Soji (rava) : Adulterants : Iron filings: Spread the tea leaves or soji on a paper. Draw a magnet over it. The iron filings if present, are attracted by the magnet.

• Rice and wheat : Adulterants : Sand grit, marble pieces, soap stone pieces. These are visually detected and removed by sorting, handpicking and washing.

• Coffee powder : Adulterant- Tamarind seed powder: Two teaspoons of coffee powder is added to water in a tumbler. Coffee powder floats and the adulterants sink.

• Cooking oil : Adulterant- Argemone oil: About 5 ml of cooking oil is taken in a test tube and 5 ml of concentrated nitric acid is added to it. A reddish brown colour appears if argemone oil is present in it.

Adulteration and Law• The Government of India has promulgated an Act

called the “Prevention of Food Adulteration Act’ in the year 1954.

• The Act has been periodically amended to check dishonest practices of traders. If the traders violate the standards mentioned in the Act, they are punishable under law.

• The quality controlling agencies like Indian Standards Institution (ISI) and Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (AGMARK) test the food products for their quality periodically.

Thank You…