Food Adulteration

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Food is the basic necessity for sustenance of life. We must all realize that eating pure, fresh and healthy diet is most essential for the health of people.  Often you must have noticed that the food you get could be adulterated in various ways. Food is time and again adulterated to increase the quantity and make more profits.

Food which is adulterated is sucked of its nutrients at the place where the food is grown and mostly contaminated. What is adulteration? An adulterant is a chemical substance that should not be contained within other substances, for eg., food, beverages and fuels for legal and various other reasons.

This process by addition of adulterants is called adulteration. Majorily you would find 4 major common types of adulteration which includes Milk adulteration, Adulteration of Fats and Oils, Food Grain adulteration and Other Adulterations. Some commonly found adulterated foods in market are:

1. Water mixed in milk.
2. Chalk powder is used as an adulterant for flour.
3. Ergot is used for cereals.
4. Papaya seeds are added into black pepper.
5. Chicory is added in pure coffee.
6. Wood powder is adulterated for turmeric and dhaniya powder.
7. Tamarind seed powder is used as a adulterant for coffee.
8. Vanaspati is used as adulterant for ghee.
9. Brick powder is often mixed to Chilli powder.
10. Honey is adulterated with sugar, water or other squash.

Food adulteration is a major threat to the consumers. It is sad to say that these food frauds literally constitute a high tech industry because of the enormous economic gains inherent in adulteration.

See down below few simple and easy tips to know if the food is adulterated:

1.  Coriander and cumin powder adulterated with saw dust. Test method: Take a little amount (half teaspoon) of the same. Sprinkle it on water in a bowl. Spice powder gets sedimented at the bottom while the saw dust floats on the surface. 
2.  Green vegetables like bitter gourd, green chilli and other adulterated with Malachite green. Test method: Take a small part of the sample and place it on a piece of moistened white blottin paper. The impression of colour on the paper indicates the use of malachite green or any other low prices artificial color. 
3.  Black pepper adulteration with papaya seeds. Test method: Papaya seeds do not have any smell and are relatively smaller in size. Adulteration of papaya seed with black pepper may be detected by way of visual examination by way of smelling or taste. 
4. Rice adulterated with sand, grit, unhusked paddy, rice bran, talc etc. Test method: These adulterants can be visually seen and removed by way of sorting, picking and washing.  
5. Wheat adulterated with sand, grit, chopped straw, bran, unhusked grain and seeds of weeds. Test method: These adulterants can be visually seen and removed by way of sorting, picking and washing. Health is precious and it is in your hands to think and buy the right stuff to stay safe and healthy.
6. Always make it a point to read the label before you purchase the product. Adulteration of food causes several heath problems in humans. Some of the health hazards include stomach ache, body ache, anemia, abortion, paralysis, and increase in the incidence of tumors, pathological lesions in vital organs, abnormalities of skin and eyes.
7. Hence food adulteration should be given great importance due to its effect in the health significance of the public. If you are truly interested in making good, healthy, nutritious and delectable variety of traditional, ethnic, fusion and fun foods at home then do look out for your favorite and many more yummy, appetizing and exotic recipes at: www.vahrehvah.com

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VahChef Sanjay Thumma

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