A kitchen is incomplete without tea, coffee and sugar. Likewise it would be incomplete if it lacks essential food grains like wheat and rice. A kitchen would also be rendered useless if the food you store in it is unhealthy because it is adulterated!
How do you know the wheat flour or rice flour is not mixed with boric powder? Have you ever come across more wheat bran than wheat itself? These things are a common occurrence but we mostly tend to overlook them. It is important that we are able to distinguish between pure and adulterated food items. Also, there are high chances that your milk and milk products are also likely to be contaminated if they are purchased loose. But preliminary tests can be easily performed at home to check their purity.
We are more prone to consuming products like sugar , tea, coffee, jaggery, honey, etc., which are adulterated as most of these products are sold loosely and can be easily contaminated. Here are easy tests you can perform to check the quality of your food:
| Food product | Adulterant | Test to check adulteration |
| Sugar | Chalk powder | Dissolve approximately 10 g of sugar in water. Chalk powder will settle in the bottom. |
| Honey | Sugar solution | Dip a cotton wick in honey and light it. If the honey is impure the wick will not burn. This test is only specific to sugar dissolved in water. |
| Jaggery | Chalk powder | Dissolve a little piece of jaggery in water. Chalk powder will settle in the bottom.OrAdd a few drops of hydrochloric acid to the solution; effervescence indicates presence of chalk powder. |
| Metanil yellow colour | Taka 1/4 tsp of jaggery in a test tube, add 3 ml alcohol to it and shake vigorously. Add 10 drops of hydrochloric acid to it. Appearance of pink colour indicates presence of this chemical. | |
| Common salt | Chalk powder | Dissolve a spoonful of salt in a glass of water, chalk powder will render the water white in colour and other impurities will settle at the bottom. |
| Iodised salt | Common salt | Cut a piece of potato and rub some salt over it. Squeeze a lemon over it. Appearnce of blue color indicates that the salt is iodised and if no blue colour appears, the salt is not iodised. |
| Tea leaves | Coal tar | Spread some tea leaves on a damp blotting paper. If coal tar is present the blotting paper will be stained.OrOn some slaked lime, sprinkle some tea dust. Appearance of red or orange colour indicates contamination with coal tar |
| Iron filings | Move a magnet over the tea powder, iron filings will be easily separated. | |
| Coffee | Chicory | Sprinkle some coffee powder on a glass of water. Coffee powder floats on water, whereas chicory will sink to the bottom. |
| Silver leaves | Aluminium leaves | On burning the silver leaves, a ball of silver will be formed, whereas on burning aluminium leaves black grey ash is formed. |
Along with these kitchen essentials, spices are another product that are more prone to adulteration. Whole spices like cloves and black pepper corns are found to be adulterated with dust, dirt and grass seeds. It is easy to distinguish between pure and adulterated spices visually and also with tests that can be performed with easily available items .
Whole grains and flours can also be easily tested at home with the following tests:
| Food product | Adulterant | Test to check adulteration | |
| Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra, Barley etc. | Dust, pebble, straw, weed seeds, damaged grain, insects, rodent excreta, hair etc. | Visual examination can help distinguish between adulterants and grains. | |
| Maida/Rice | Boric acid | Take a small quantity if your sample in a test tube, add some water and shake. Add a few drops of hydrochloric acid. Dip a turmeric paper in the solution. If it turns red, boric acid is present in the sample. | |
| Wheat flour | Excess bran | Sprinkle some flour on a glass of water. Bran will float on the top. | |
| Chalk powder | Add some dilute hydrochloric acid to your sample in the test tube. If it effervesces, chalk powder is present. | ||
| Suji/ Rava | Iron filings | Move a magnet over the sample, iron filings if present,will be separated. | |
| Sago (Sabudana) | Sand or talcum | Chew some sago, if it gives you a gritty feeling, it is adulterated. Also,burn the sago, if it swells it is pure and won’t leave a ash behind, otherwise it would leave a good amount of ash. | |
| Besan or gram flour | Metanil Yellow | Taka 1/4 tsp of besan in a test tube, add 3 ml alcohol to it and shake vigorously. Add 10 drops of hydrochloric acid to it. Appearance of pink colour indicates presence of this chemical. | |
These tests are a preliminary way to check the adulteration of your food products. You can also get your products tested by a lab analyst at your own expense.
Approach the local consumer courts or Food and Drug Administration in your city if you find that your product is misbranded or adulterated provided you inform the vendor against whom you wish to file a complaint. In case you come across any food products that is either misbranded or adulterated you can register you grievances with the National Consumer Helpline on their toll free number-1800-111-4000 or write to them at www.nationalconsumerhelpline.in.
Also, if you can seek monetary compensation under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 by lodging a complaint at National Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (NCDRF), if you seek compensation of Rs. 1 crore and above, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (SCDRF)(Rs. 20 Lakh and above but below Rs. 1 Crore ) and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF) (Rs. 20 Lakh or below).
When food products get adulterated with various additives like food colours or certain chemicals they have a detrimental effect on your health.
Image source: Getty images
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