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Food Adulteration
Food Adulteration
Definition
• "Adulteration" is a legal term meaning that a
food product fails to meet federal or state
standards. Adulteration is an addition of a non
food item to increase the quantity of the food
item in raw form or prepared form, which may
result in the loss of actual quality of food item.
• It bears or contains any "poisonous or dangerous
substance" which may render it injurious to health.
• It bears or contains a pesticide chemical residue that
is unsafe.
• It is, or it bears or contains, an unsafe colour
additive.
• A valuable constituent has been omitted in whole or
in part or replaced with another substance, damage
or inferiority has been concealed in any manner
REASON BEHIND FOOD ADULTERATION
• Some of the adulterants that are used in milk are water, chalk, urea,
caustic soda and skimmed milk, while Khoya is adulterated with
paper, refined oil and skimmed milk powder. Similarly, potato and
Vanaspati have been found to contaminate Ghee, while the silver
topping that is found on top of most mithais is often aluminium.
Similarly, the Saffron thread that decorates mithai is often just dried
and coloured corn hair. Combine all this together and you have the
recipe for one big, bad stomach ache, if not worse!
• To check if milk is adulterated, put a few drops on a smooth plate and
tilt it. If it is pure, the milk will run slowly and leave a white trail
behind it. Further, you may even add a few drops of iodine to a small
sample and if it turns blue, that means it has been adulterated.
Vegetable and fruits Adulteration