Delhi Public School

INDORE

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
TOPIC: ADULTERATION IN FOOD
PRODUCTS

SUBMITTED BY: RONAK BHALE

XII-B

1|Page
 Delhi Public School
INDORE

SESSION-2019-20

Subject: Chemistry (043)

Class-12
Investigatory Project on:
ADULTRATION IN FOOD PRODUCTS

SUBMITTED TO: MS. SAPNA MISHRA

2|Page
 CERTIFICATE
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

This is to certify that Ronak Bhale Roll no.

Studying in 12th in the session 2019-20 of Delhi Public
School, Indore has completed the investigatory project
on the topic Adulteration in food items based on the
curriculum issued by C.B.S.E and has given
satisfactory account of it in this project.

TEACHER IN CHARGE
EXAMINER

PRINCIPAL
INSTITUTION STAMP

3|Page
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have taken the efforts in this project. However, this would not
have been possible without the kind support and help of many
individuals and organizations. I would like to extend my sincere
thanks to all of them.

I am highly indebted to the teacher in-charge, MS. Sapna Mishra

and Lab assistant- MR Sanjay Verma for their able guidance and
constant supervision as well as for providing necessary information
regarding the project and for their support in completing this
project.

I would also like to express my gratitude to my parents for their kind

co-operation and encouragement propelling me to the completion of
this project

My thanks and gratitude also go to my class mates in developing the

project and the people who have willingly helped me out with my
talents.

4|Page
 CONTENT

o Adulteration meaning
o Impact on us
o Adulterant
o Adulteration in food and beverages
o Incidents on adulteration
o Adulteration in
1. MILK
2. COFFEE
3. CHILLI POWDER
4. TURMERIC POWDER
5. ARGEMONE SEEDS AND OIL
6. ICE CREAM
7. GREEN CHILLIES
8. GHEE
9. SUGAR
10. BLACK PEPPER
11. TEA
o Adulteration in ghee
o Adulteration in spices
o Adulteration in milk and sugar
o Precautions and conclusions

5|Page
 ADULTERATION

6|Page
 MEANING

o Adulteration is a legal term meaning that a food product fails to

meet or comply with federal or state standards.

o Adulteration usually refers to noncompliance with health or

safety standards.

o Food adulteration is an act of intentionally debasing the quality

of food offered for sale either by the mixture or substitution or
inferior quality of ingredients or by the removal of a vital
component

o Food adulteration considers not only the intentional addition or

substitution or abstraction of substances which adversely
affects nature, and the quality of food but also their incidental
contamination during the period of growth, harvesting, storage,
processing, transport and distribution.

o Food is declared adultized if:

1. A substance added which depreciates the quality of
the product
2. Cheaper or inferior substances are substituted
wholly or in part
3. Any valuable or necessary constituent has been
partly or totally abstracted
4. It is an imitation of the original product

7|Page
 IMPACT ON PEOPLE

o Often, we hear or watch in what ways food items are being

adulterized to maximize profits of the parent company and how
it has affected the health of various people.
o It has been observed how milk and milk-based products are
being made from urea, soap and other harmful chemicals
o It is also a well-known fact that the vegetables and fruits
consumed by majority of the world’s population is being
sprayed/treated with pesticides and insecticides which when
consumed accumulate in our body and have chronic effects on
one’s health
o Above all the most well-known case of adulteration is of the
broiler chicken which is injected with growth stimulating
hormones to make the growth of the chick faster.
o We have also come across instances of accelerated fruit
ripening with the use of harmful chemical’s
o Adulteration of food can lead to various health issues like
stomach ache, paralysis, increase in the incidence of tumors,
abnormalities on skin or eyes etc.
o There is also an increased chance of organ failure or
developing cancer due to the carcinogenic elements present in
the product.
o There are also a lot of imitating products that seem just like the
real deal but are in fact cheap quality and low prize imitations
one should be careful while purchasing.
o Hence food adulteration should be given great importance
throughout the world due to its direct effect on any country’s
population and hence its economy.
o People affected are helpless victims of the adulteration industry
which mostly runs unchecked

8|Page
 o The increasing number of food products specially the inflow
from the foreign markets is what that is targeted the most as
people do not have knowledge about the product so can be
easily fooled.
o It is also a very intricate and lengthy process to identify the
source of adulterated food, so most organizations can avoid
inspections
o In the case of INDIA where most of the population is
uneducated misleading or misdirecting the population is easy,
so most brands use this in their favor and cheat the population
o With growing technology and advances in science adulteration
has also developed and is applied to majority of the food
products on sale and has also grown seamless and hard to
detect
o A lot of fats consumed by our population like oil, butter is made
of castor oil and hydrocarbons which is very unhealthy to
consume.
o Red chili powder is mixed with brick powder which gives it the
desired colour while increasing the quantity too, pepper is
mixed with dried papaya seeds
o Although most of these adulterants can be identified by very
simple chemical tests the unsuspecting population never doubts
the legitimacy, so the tests are not conducted
o In India various organizations have been set up by the
government in order to reduce and abolish food adulteration in
Indian markets.
o AGMARK- an acronym for agricultural marketing this
organization certifies a product based on their quality and
consistency and if they are worthy of Indian markets.

9|Page
 ADULTERANTS
o An adulterant is a pejorative term for a substance found
within other substances such as food, fuels or chemicals,
although not allowed for legal reasons.

o The addition of adulterants is called adulteration. The most

common reason of adulteration is to maximize profits and
achieve a desired result like colour.

o The adulterants may be harmful, or reduce the potency of

the product, or in certain cases may be harmless. An
adulterant is distinct from permitted food additives

o There is a fine line between additive and adulterant, the

same product used to increase the potency or enhance a
product as an additive when added to another product
becomes an adulterant

o In the past and even today chalk powder is added to bread

flour which reduces cost of production and increases
whiteness but is not harmful as the calcium present in the
powder has a positive effect on health.

10 | P a g e
 IN FOOD AND BEVERAGES
PAST AND PRESENT EXAMPLES OF ADULTRATION

o Roasted chicory used as an adulterant for coffee.

o Diethylene glycol, used dangerously by some wine makers in

sweet wines

o Apple jellies (jams), as substitutes for more expensive fruit

jellies, with added colorant and sometimes even specks of
wood that simulate raspberry or strawberry seeds.

o Water is used to dilute milk and alcoholic beverages.

o Cutting agents used to adulterate (“or cut”) illicit drugs-for

example, shoe polish in hashish, amphetamines in ecstasy,
lactose in cocaine.

o Urea or melamine and other non-protein products to inflate

crude protein content measurements.

o High fructose corn syrup or cane sugar used to adulterate

honey.

o Water or brine injected into chicken or any other meat to

increase their weight.

11 | P a g e
 INCIDENTS ON ADULTRATION

o In 1987, beech-nut was fined for violating the us-federal food

drug and cosmetic act by selling flavored sugar water as apple
juice.

o In 1997, ConAgra foods illegally sprayed water on stored grain

to increase weight.

o In 2007, samples of wheat gluten mixed with melamine

presumably to produce inflated results from tests for protein
content, were discovered in the U.S.A. they were suspected to
be imported from china.

o In 2008 significant portions of china’s milk supply were found

to have been adulterated with melamine. Infant formula
produced from this milk killed hundreds before being caught.

o In 2012 a study in India across 29 states and union territories

found that milk was adulterated with detergent, fat, and even
urea, and diluted with water. Only 31.5% of the samples
collected conformed to FSSSAI standards.

12 | P a g e
 ADULTRATION IN VARIOUS ITEMS
1.MILK
ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS
 UNHYGENIC WATER  FOOD POISONING
 CHALK POWDER  HEART DIFFICULTIES
 SOAPY WATER  NAUSEA
 UREA  CANCER
 STARCH
 HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

TEST FOR PURITY

1. Put a drop of milk on a slanted surface.
2. It the milk leaves a white trail it is a sign of purity if not it is adulterated
3. If the milk turns yellow after heating and then when tasted tastes soapy
or bitter, then it confirms that the milk has a synthetic substance added
13 | P a g e
 2.COFFEE POWDER

ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS

1. TAMARIND SEEDS 1. DIARRHOEA
2. CHICORY POWDER 2. STOMACH ACHE
3. GIDDINESS
4. JOINT PAIN

TEST FOR PURITY:

o Sprinkle a small amount of coffee on the surface of water contained in a
glass
o If the coffee stays afloat it is pure and does not contain chicory powder
o If it does contain chicory powder the powder will sink to the bottom
leaving behind a trail
o Visually, pure coffee powder is very light with great looseness without
any sight of sticky. You can easily identify real coffee after this
experiment: Get a glass full of water, mildly pour coffee powder inside, if
the powder tends to inflate then it’s a real, pure one and vice versa.
o Pure coffee powder barely bear-water, or aqueous whilst others cereal
powder tends to have great hydrous and moisture. Besides, since cereal
powder usually has no aroma, some coffee roasters use chemical and
artificial aroma to mix with coffee powder, therefore mixed coffee is
usually hydrous in visual and lumping, very different from the real one
which is crumbly and porous.

14 | P a g e
 3.CHILLI POWDER
HARMFUL EFFECTS
ADULTERANTS
1. DIGESTION PROBLEMS
1. BRICK POWDER
2. CRCINOGENIC SUBSTANSES
2. SAW DUST
CAN CAUSE CANCER

TEST FOR PURITY:

o Mix a spoonful of chili powder in a glass full of water
o If you observe a colored water extract it means that the powder is
adulterized and has added colour
o To test for brick powder, rub some chili powder at the bottom of a
glass. If you feel grittiness, it could indicate the presence of brick
powder or even sand. Red chili powder may be mixed with artificial
colors to give it the bright hue. Sprinkle some chili powder over a glass
of water

15 | P a g e
 4.TURMERIC POWDER
ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS

 YELLOW ANILINE DYE  CAUSES CANCER

 NON-PERMITTED  STOMACH ACHE
COLOURENTS  NAUSEA
 HEAD-ACHE

TEST OR PURITY:
o To check for metanil yellow: Take some turmeric in a test tube and add a
few drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid to it and some water. Then
shake it vigorously. If the mixture turns pink, the turmeric powder had
metanil yellow in it.
o To detect the presence of lead chromate, mix a teaspoon
of turmeric powder with water. If adulterated, it will immediately leak
streaks of water-soluble colour. One of the easiest ways to
check adulteration is to add a teaspoon of turmeric to a glass of warm
water.

16 | P a g e
 5.MUSTARD SEEDS AND OIL

ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS

 EPIDEMIC DROPSY
 ARGEMONE SEEDS
 SEVERE GLAUCOMA

17 | P a g e
 6.ICECREAM
ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS

 WASHING POWDER  LIVER DISORDER

 STOMACH DISORDERS

TEST FOR PURITY:

If the ice cream starts to froth after adding a few drops of lemon juice to it
indicates presence of washing powder in it

18 | P a g e
 7.GREEN CHILLIES
ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS
 MALACHITE GREEN  CARCENOGENIC
(A COLOURED DYE)  NAUSEA
 HEAD ACHE

TEST FOR PURITY:

o Soak a small cotton piece in paraffin
o Rub it against a small portion of the outer surface of green chili or any
other green vegetable for that matter
o If the cotton turns green, it indicates the presence of food coloring

19 | P a g e
 8.GHEE

ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS

 VEGETABLE OIL  ANAEMIA
 ANIMAL BODY FATS  HEART ENLAREGEMENT

TEST FOR PURITY:

o ADD 1Ml of water to a test tube containing about 0.5g of ghee.
o Bring the mixture to boil. Once it cools, add a drop of iodine (or iodine
tincture solution).
o If the final output is blue in color, then it is adulterized with starchy
substances.

20 | P a g e
 9.SUGAR

ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS

 CHALK POWDER  STOMACH DISORDERS

TEST FOR PURITY:

o Unadulterated sugar, when added to a glass of water will sink

directly to the bottom
o If the sugar leaves a trail behind it is probably adulterized with chalk

21 | P a g e
 10.BLACK PEPPER
ADULTERANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS
 PAPAYA SEEDS  LIVER DISORDER
 BREATHING ISSUES
 STOMACH DISORDER

22 | P a g e
 11.TEA

ADULTRANTS HARMFUL EFFECTS

 PROCESSED AND  LIVER DISORDER
COLOURED USED  NAUSEA
TEA LEAVES  STOMACH ACHE

TEST FOR PURITY:

o Sprinkle some tea powder on a damp blotting paper.
o Change in the color of the blotting paper to something like yellow
or red indicates coloration and adulteration

23 | P a g e
 ADULTRATION IN GHEE

o Ghee is a widely consumed dairy product in India this also

makes it one of the most adulterized product on the market. It
has its origins in ayurvedic texts dating back centuries.

o Detection of adulteration in cow milk ghee with vegetable

oil/fats and animal body fats is the key concern.

o Cow ghee is often adulterized with various non permitted

additives but recent action by the health and food bureau of
the country the practice has been minimized.

o Adultization of cow ghee with animal fats does not just violate
health regulations but also emerges as a concern due to
various cultural and religious believes in the country which
include strict vegetarians and people who have a motherly
attitude towards cows.

o Adulterized ghee poses problems like cardiac disease or blood

pressure abnormalities, it also raises cholesterol level and
contains carcinogenic substances which can cause cancer.

24 | P a g e
 GHEE EXPERIMENT-1

DETECTION OF DALDA IN PURE GHEE:

o Pure ghee is way costlier than the adulterized counterpart
which is way cheaper to produce
o To increase volume Vanaspati ghee is added to pure ghee to
maximize profits while compromising on quality, this
adulterized version also contains traces of sesame oil in it.
o Sesame seed oil reacts with a mixture of concentrated HCL and
furfural solution to produce a rose red colour.
o This test is also known as Baudouin test.

REAGENT: Concentrated HCL and 2% solution of furfural in alcohol.

PROCEDURE:
1. 5ml of melted ghee is taken as sample in attest
tube.
2. 5ml of conc. HCL is added to the test tube

3. Then 2-3 drops of 2% furfural solution is added

with a bit of alcohol.

DETECTION: If the sample does not show any change it is pure cow
milk but if the colour of the solution changes to red the ghee is
adulterized with Vanaspati ghee and is not suitable for intake.

25 | P a g e
 GHEE EXPERIMENT-2

REQUIREMENTS:
TEST TUBE, CONC HCL, FURFURAL, ACETIC ANHYDRIDE, CONC
H2SO4, ACETIC ACID, CONC HNO3.

PROCEDURE:
Common adulterants present in ghee are oil paraffin wax, vegetable
oil, hydrocarbons, dyes and argemone oil. These are detected as
follows

o ADULTERATION OF VEGETABLE OIL IN PURE GHEE

BANDOUIN TEST:
 TAKE A SMALL AMOUNT OF GHEE IN A TEST
TUBE AND MELT IT.
 ADD 1 ML HCL AND SHAKE
 ADD 2% ALCOHOLIC SOLUTION OF
FURFURAL DROP BY DROP
 SHAKE THE TEST TUBE THROUGHLY
 IF THE CONTENTS SHOW NO CHANGE THE
GHEE IS UN ADULTERED BUT IF THE COLOUR
CHANGES TO GREEN IT IS ADULTERED

26 | P a g e
ADULTERATION OF DYES IN FATS:
 ADD FEW DROPS OF GHEE IN A
TEST TUBE
 ADD 4 DROPS OF HNO3 AND
SHAKE
 IF A RED COLOUR APPEARS IN
THE ACID MEDIUM IT IS AN
ADULTERIZED PRODUCT

FURFURAL TEST:
 MIX 0.1 GM OF FINELY POWDERED
CANESUGAR WITH 10 ML CONC HCL
 ADD THIS SOLUTION TO ABOUT 10 ML OF
MOLTEN GHEE
 THE CONTENTS SHOULD BE MIXED
THROUGHLY AND BE ALLOWED TO STAND
FOR 10 MIN
 IF A CRIMSON SHADE APPEARS, ADD 10 ML
WATER AND ALLOW THE TUBE TO STAND
FOR ANOTHER 10 MINS
 IF THE COLOUR PERSISTANTLY COMES UP
AGAIN IT INDICATES THE PRESENCE OF AN
ADULTRANT

ADULTRATION OF DYES IN FATS:

 HEAT 1 ML OF FAT WITH A
MIXTURE OF CONC H2SO4 AND 4
ML ACETIC ACID
 APPEARANCE OF PINK SHADE
INDICATES PRESENCE OF A DYE

27 | P a g e
 ADULTERATION IN SPICES

o Spices are being used more than ever ass consumers seek to
reduce salt intake and develop their palate.

o In naturopathic medicine, spices are sometimes used for their

anti-microbial or therapeutic effects.

o Spices are high in value by weight, and are often sold in

ground or powdered form, making them a prime target for
substitution or alteration with low cost imitation products and
fillers.

o Spices like turmeric, paprika and ginger are often cut with
fillers, from less expensive spices to flours, corn starch and
even saw dust.

o Toxic or potentially carcinogenic dyes are added to hide aging

of a product or the presence of fillers, as in turmeric originating
from India

o In 2005, over 600 finished food products in the EU and north

America were recalled due to the presence of chili powder
adulterized with Sudan, a read dye used to make the chili
powder appear fresher.

o An industrial dye, Sudan is category 3 carcinogenic not

approved for human consumption.

28 | P a g e
 EXPERIMENT-1

Detection of Lead Chromate –

Reagents: concentrated HCL and 1% diphenyl carbazide rectified
spirit
Procedure:
1. 1g of the sample of turmeric powder is taken in a test tube
2. The 5 ml of HCL is added to the test tube
3. The mixture is shaken thoroughly
4. Now 1 ml of diphenyl carbine reagent is added

Detection of coal tar dye-

Reagents: concentrated HCl and petroleum ether (40-600C)
p

29 | P a g e