adulteration of foods

Tracking tainted food

A lowdown on the adulterants that are most prevalent in the food we consume and how to weed them out.

A list of common adulterants

Water , milk powder or detergent in milk

Starch (soya or sago) in milk and milk products

Vanaspati or potatoes/sweet potatoes in ghee

Synthetic colour and/or popular malt drink in tea

Khesri dal with, or sold as, tur dal

Coloured grass seeds in cumin seeds

Cheaper oils in coconut oil

Sugar solution in honey

Chalk powder in sugar

Papaya seeds in black pepper

Artificial colours in turmeric powder

Saw dust or powdered bran in spice powders

Various government agencies have taken samples and conducted tests but so far no plastic has been found in rice anywhere in the country.

D.THULASINGAM,

Federation of TN Rice Mill Owners and Paddy-rice Dealers Associations

The very few chcks that are done hard matter since very few people are penalised

T. SADGOPAN,ACTIVISIT

FEW TESTS TO FIND ADULTERANTS IN FOOD ITEMS

Coconut oil I Keep some coconut oil in a refrigeration for 30minutes. If it is adulterated, other oils will remain as a separate layer

Honey I Add a few drops of honey to a glass of water in a transparent container. If the water, it indicates the presence of added sugar

Sugar I Take a glass of water, dissolve a teaspoon of sugar in it. The adulterant will sink to the bottom

Food grains  I add two teaspoons of food grains and mix it with a glass of water. Pure grains will not shed any colour

MILK I take a 50ml sample and shake the contents thoroughly. If the milk is adulterated with detergent, it will form a dense Lather and also give off the smell of a detergent. Pure milk will form a very thin layer.