Blue Bells Public School

Sector 10A, Gurguram

Summer Project
2019-20

Study of Adulteration in Food Stuff

Pranav Shrivastava | 19 | Chemistry | May 23rd, 2019
  Acknowledgments

I am overwhelmed in all humbleness and gratefulness to

acknowledge my depth to all those who have helped me to
put these ideas, well above the level of simplicity and into
something concrete.
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my
teacher Mr. R.P Singh who gave me the golden opportunity
to do this wonderful project on the topic “Adulteration in
Food Stuff”, which also helped me in doing a lot of Research
and I came to know about so many new things I am really
thankful to them.
Any attempt at any level can't be satisfactorily completed
without the support and guidance of my parents.

I would like to thank my parents who helped me a lot in

gathering different information, collecting data and guiding
me from time to time in making this project, despite of their
busy schedules, they gave me different ideas in making this
project unique.

Thanking You,
Pranav Shrivastava (19)
XI-A

1|PAGE
  Contents

S. No. Topic Name Page No.

1 Acknowledgement Letter 1

2 Introduction and Impact of 3-4

Adulterants

3 Different Chemical Tests for 5-6

Detection of Adulterants

4 Laboratory Experiments for 7-15

Detection of Adulterants

5 Conclusion and Statistical 16

Information

6 References 17

2|PAGE
3|PAGE
  Introduction

Adulteration in food is normally present in its most crude

form; prohibited substances are either added or partly or
wholly substituted.

Normally the Contamination/Adulteration in food is done

either for financial gain or due to carelessness and lack in
proper hygienic condition of processing, storing,
transportation and marketing. This ultimately results that the
consumer is either cheated or often become victim of diseases.

Such types of adulteration are quite common in developing

countries or backward countries. It is equally important for
The consumer to know the common adulterants and their
effect on health.

4|PAGE
 Impact of Adulterants

 Every day we hear and watch live on television how the

food items are being adulterated and this spurious,
unhygienic and harmful food is entering our houses. We
have seen how milk and milk products are being made
from urea, soap and other harmful chemicals.

 We all know that vegetables are being given injections to

make them grow faster and overnight. We have also come
across evidence as to how the fruits are being ripened
with the use of harmful chemicals.

 Adulteration of food causes several health problems in

humans. Some of the health hazards include stomach
ache, body ache, anaemia, paralysis, and increase in the
incidence of tumours, pathological lesions in vital organs,
abnormalities of skin and eyes. Hence food adulteration
should be given great importance due to its effect in the
health significance of the public. The people are hapless
victims of this adulteration industry running in full swing.

5|PAGE
  Different Chemical Tests for
Detection of Adulterants

Food adulteration has now become a burning problem. The

adulterants used are so similar to natural foodstuffs that it
becomes very difficult for a common man to detect them.

A few simple tests can be done to detect adulterants found in

common foodstuffs as follows: -

1. Metanil yellow in Pulses

Shake 5 gms: of the suspected pulses with 5 ml of water. Add
a few drops of hydrochloric acid. A pink colour shows the
presence of metanil yellow.

2. Water in Milk

Measure the specific gravity with a lactometer. The normal

values will fall between 1.030 and 1.034. Milkmen are wise to
the test and may dilute the milk only to the right density, so
this is only a rough test.

3. Starch in Milk

Add drops of iodine solution to a small quantity of milk. Milk

containing starch turns blue. Pure milk turns a coffee shade.

6|PAGE
4. Kesari dal in Channa or other Dals

Add 5 ml of normal hydrochloric acid to a small quantity of

dal in a glass. Keep the glass in simmering water for 15
minutes. Development of pink colour indicates the presence
of Kesari dal. By visual detection-shape of dal. The Kesari dal
is wedge shaped.

5. Chalk or any other Dust

Dissolve sugar in water, the impurities will settle down at the

bottom. Etc.

Adulteration of Milk

7|PAGE
  Some Laboratory based
Experiments

The Objective of this project is to study some of the common

food adulterants present in different common food stuffs.in
this project different food items are tested in laboratory by
some tests to detect the adulterants present.

More over different samples of each food item are also taken
into consideration and their quality is specially analysed.

The batch number serial number, date of expiry,

and date of modification are also noted for the
packaged samples of the food items.

8|PAGE
Experiment 1.1

 Detection of Starch in Milk

Along with water, a very common adulterant of milk is
starch. Milk consists of three basic components which are
water (about 80%0), fat (about 3.5%) and solids containing
protein, lactose and mineral matters (about 8.5%). Milk is
adulterated with starch to maintain the thickness of fat
extracted milk or diluted milk. The presence of starch can be
detected by adding iodine solution to milk.

 Reagent used
Iodine solution or tincture of iodine.

 Procedure
Firstly, 5mL of milk sample is taken in a test tube and is
boiled for 3-4 minutes. Then it is cooled and 1-2 drops of
iodine solution is added to it and is mixed well.

 Detection
Appearance of blue color indicates the presence of starch in
the sample.

9|PAGE
S. No SAMPLES BATCH NO. RESULT

1 Amul Taza B5087M Adulterant Absent

2 Dairy Milk ----------------- Adulterant Present

3 Nestle EVERYDAY 127304514A Adulterant Absent

4 Amulya 4B8790 Adulterant Absent

Table for different samples.

10 | P A G E
Experiment 1.2

 Detection of Yellow Die in Turmeric

Turmeric (haldi) powder is a popular natural dye used in
cooked food. The powder is often adulterated with rice
powder, besan, wheat powder etc. which makes the colour of
the turmeric pale. To make the colour bright, often lead
chromate, which is a poisonous chemical or coal tar dye is
added to turmeric powder.

1. Detection of Lead Chromate

 Reagent
Conc. HCl and 1% diphenyl carbazide in rectified spirit.

 Procedure
1g of the turmeric powder sample is taken in a test tube and
5ml of concentrated HCL is added to it. The mixture is
shaked thoroughly. Now 1ml of 1% diphenyl carbazide
reagent is added.

 Detection
Appearance of pink to red colour indicates the presence of
lead chromate, PbCrO4, in the sample.

11 | P A G E
 2. Detection of Coal Tar Dye

 Reagent
Conc. HCl and petroleum ether (40-60°C)

 Procedure
5g of the sample is taken in a test tube and 10mL petroleum
ether is added to it. The mixture is shaked vigorously and is
allowed to stand. 5 mL of concentrated HCL is added and is
again shaked thoroughly.

 Detection
The aqueous acid becomes pink to red in colour if coal tar is
present.

S. No Samples Batch No. Result

1 MDH Haldi Powder GN-60 Adulterant Absent
2 Open Sample ------------ Adulterant
Present
3 Bharat Haldi KL29 Adulterant Absent

Table for different samples.

12 | P A G E
Experiment 1.3

 Detection of Argemone Oil in Mustard

Oil
Argemone oil is a non-edible oil which is often used to
adulterate vegetable oil or fat. Argemone oil can be easily
detected by FeCl3 solution test.

 Reagent
Concentrated HCl, 10% FeCl3 solution (dissolve 10g to
anhydrous FeCl3 in 10mL concentrated HCl and dilute to
100 mL with distilled water).

 Procedure
In a test tube, 5mL of the mustard oil sample is taken and
2mL of concentrated HCl is added to it. Then it is shaked
vigorously and is warmed for 5 minutes. It is shaked
intermittently during warming. 1mL of 10% FeCl3 solution is
added and is mixed it by rotating the test tube between the
palms. The mixture is heated in a boiling water bath for
about 10 minutes.

 Detection
Reddish brown needle like crystals appear at the junction of
the acid and oil, if argemone oil is present.

13 | P A G E
S. No Samples Batch No. Result
1 DHARA Mustard Oil A3K02 Adulterant
Absent
2 ASSAM VALLEY 07 Adulterant
Pure Mustard Oil Absent
3 Open Sample ---------------- Adulterant
Absent

Table for different samples.

14 | P A G E
Experiment 1.4

 Detection of Kesari Dal in Besan

Besan Powder is usually adulterated with Kesari Dal which
contains Butyl Oxalyl Alanine Amine (BOAA) which causes
lethargy and ultimate paralysis in lower limbs of human
body on regular consumption. The detection of BOAA in
Besan Powder indicates adulteration of it with Kesari Dal

 Reagent
Dil. HCl

 Procedure
1gm of the Besan Sample is taken in a test tube and 10mL of 70% HCl
is added to it. The content is boiled for some time.

 Detection
Development of pinkish color indicates adulteration of Besan
with Kesari Dal.

15 | P A G E
S. No. SAMPLES BATCH NO. RESULT
1 Open Sample ----------------- Adulterant present

2 Packaged Sample 956G Adulterant absent

Table for different samples.

16 | P A G E
  Conclusion
I have studied different chemical reactions involved in the
process of Detection of Different Adulterants in different
food items. These experiments were performed for the
purpose of detecting various adulterants present in common
food. The results obtained during these experiments have
been shown in this project. These experiments have been
performed by common laboratory methods.

3
Adulterant Present
2 Adulterant Absent

0
Packaged Samples Open Samples

17 | P A G E
  References

1. Images:
www.pexels.com

2. Experiments, Statistical Analysis and

Written Matter:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272492507_A_PRO
JECT_WORK_on_DETECTION_OF_ADULTERANTS_IN_SO
ME_COMMON_FOOD-STUFF

https://www.academia.edu

Thank You

18 | P A G E