What are the types of Adulterated Food: Types, Methods, Tests, Examples

Adulterated Food Overview

Food is necessary for life to exist. We all eat food to obtain energy for various metabolic functions. Food is required by all living species for growth, labor, repair, and maintenance of life processes. There are several sorts of food available on the market today, and we all rely on diverse food sources on a regular basis, including vegetables, fruits, grains, pulses, legumes, and so on. We may have come across little stones in cereals and grains, darkly colored vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, fruits, dark red meat, and a variety of other items while shopping for fresh vegetables and other foods. One of today's significant issues is the adulteration or contamination of natural food items. Despite numerous actions and punishments, introducing adulterants is a frequent practice in underdeveloped nations. Natural items are adulterated in a variety of ways.

Food Adulteration 

Food is an essential requirement for survival. Our bodies absorb the food we eat and use it to power metabolic processes and maintain life. Food is required for growth and other living functions. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, pulses, grains, and other foods are included in our regular diet. All of these are either eaten raw or prepared into delicacies and enjoyed. However, you may have seen extremely thin milk owing to water mixing, white, yellow, or black pebbles in raw pulses, white microscopic stones combined with rice, and so on. Adulteration occurs when ingredients are mixed with food. One of the man-made problems as we cope with overpopulation, environmental hazards, and decreasing natural resources is food adulteration. Food tampering has major consequences for human health. Despite different government restrictions, raising awareness about the dangers of food adulteration is a common activity in many nations. Food businesses use a variety of ways to adulterate food, including chemicals and synthetic chemicals. 

Adulterated Food Details

Food adulteration is described as the activity of adulterating food or contaminating food ingredients by adding a few compounds known as adulterants. Adulterants are substances or low-quality goods that are added to food for economic and technical reasons. The addition of these adulterants decrease the nutritional content of food and also contaminate it, rendering it unfit for ingestion. These adulterants are potentially present in all food products we consume on a regular basis, including dairy products, cereals, legumes, grains, meat, vegetables, fruits, oils, drinks, and so on. Adulteration is a legal offense, and food is considered to be adulterated when it fails to fulfill the legal requirements imposed by the government. Food adulteration occurs when chemicals that decrease food quality are purposefully or inadvertently introduced to it. Thus, food adulteration is defined as the contamination or adulteration of food or food products by the addition of dangerous chemicals.

Food Adulteration Examples

Some examples of food adulteration are given below-

1. Pulses are mixed with sand particles and stones.
2. Milk and water mixture
3. Using oil in conjunction with chemical derivatives or less costly oils.
4. Packing low-quality food with fresh and high-quality food.
5. These are only a few examples of food tampering.

What is FSSAI?

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established in 2008 to oversee food hygiene and quality in India. It became operational in 2011 and has been in charge of regulating food safety in our country ever since. The FSSAI is headquartered in New Delhi. In addition, the authority maintains six regional offices in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Chennai. The organization was established in accordance with the FSS Act of 2006, prior to which several statutes and laws were handled by various ministries of government.

Adulterant

Adulterants are compounds that, when added to food, reduce its quality. It is a chemical present in other foods that degrades the inherent quality of the meal. The adulterant can exist in any form and amount. Adulterants are usually toxic and have the potential to reduce the potency of a substance. Even if the adulterant is not dangerous, it significantly diminishes the nutritional value of the meal. When some adulterants are exposed to them for an extended length of time, they are shown to be carcinogenic or deadly. 

When Does Food become Adulterated?

Some factors must be met in order to determine whether or not a food is contaminated. These points are summarised further below-

1. A material is introduced to food that diminishes its quality or makes it unsafe.
2. Cheaper or lower-quality components are substituted for complete or a few items.
3. A food element is partially or completely removed, lowering food quality.
4. It is made presentable with the use of dangerous drugs. If its color is altered to improve its appearance.
5. Anything that lowers the quality of food is added to or removed from it.

Why is Food Adulteration Performed?

Food contamination or the addition of food components is a regular occurrence in underdeveloped nations. Milk, for example, can be diluted by adding water to increase its volume, and starch powder is frequently added to enhance its solid content.

The following are the most common reasons for food product adulteration-

1. It is done as part of the company's plan.
2. An impersonation of another culinary product.
3. Inadequate understanding of proper dietary consumption.
4. To increase the amount of food produced and sold.
5. Food demand has increased due to a fast-rising population.
6. Making the most money from food with the fewest investments.
7. Applied as part of a company plan to meet the profit drive of traders.
8. There is no effective food legislation, and there are no government efforts.
9. Food demand has increased due to a fast-rising population.
10. The general population lacks information and understanding of healthy food consumption.
11. To enhance food production and sales in response to food insecurity.
12. To make food seem nice and to imitate another popular meal.

Also read more about Variety of Food, Rancidity, and What is Autotrophic Nutrition?

Adulterated Food Types

Food adulteration may be classified into four forms, and they are as follows-

1. Intentional Adulteration- When substances that resemble the ingredients of the food are added to it in order to increase its weight and profit. For example, combining stones, sand, chalk powder, etc.
2. Incidental Adulteration- Incidental adulteration happens as a result of carelessness when handling food. Pesticide residues in wheat, for example.
3. Metallic adulteration- Metallic adulteration is the unintentional or purposeful addition of metallic elements such as lead from water and mercury from effluents.
4. Packaging Hazard- The packing materials used to pack the food may also interact with and mix with the ingredients of the food, resulting in packaging risks. 

Food Adulteration Methods

The following are some techniques of food adulteration-

1. Sand, dust, clay, muck, and pebbles are mixed with food particles.
2. Substitution: Some good elements are replaced by cheaper and lower-quality ones, altering the nutritional content of the meal and perhaps posing a health risk.
3. Using Deteriorated Food: This strategy suggests combining decomposed and nutritious foods. Food that hides harm or inferiority in any way is called tainted. Furthermore, the purposeful combining of nutritious food with doubtful grade food results in an adulterated final product.
4. Poisonous Substance Additions: Food adulteration also includes combining food with toxic chemicals to maximize profit and sales. For example, the addition of color, dyes, or hazardous substances.
5. Misbranding includes changing the manufacture dates, expiry dates, ingredient lists, or deceptive ingredient derivatives, among other things.
6. Artificial ripening: Adding chemicals to fruits and vegetables to hasten the ripening process is also termed food adulteration. Mango, for example, is ripened using carbide to match commercial demand vs supply.

List of Food Adulterants

The following is a list of a few adulterants found in food items, as well as their negative consequences-

Effects of Food Adulteration

1. Food adulteration has a significant negative influence on human health. 
2. Regardless of the form of adulteration, chronic ingestion of this sort of food is extremely damaging to the body. 
3. Consuming such foods raises the toxin level in the body. 
4. As the nutritional content of contaminated food decreases, it is no longer nutritious to the body. 
5. The addition of chemical adulterants and colors is frequently lethal because they cause health problems and are carcinogens. 
6. Some contaminated food may also directly harm our internal organs, resulting in heart, kidney, liver, and other organ diseases and failure.

How to recognize Food Adulteration?

Food adulteration has several negative health consequences. Prolonged intake of tainted food may potentially be deadly. Organic food, however, is not always accessible and is more expensive than regular vegetables due to low yield. As a result, it is critical to recognize if your food has been tainted. This may be accomplished using a variety of at-home approaches. For example, to see if the milk contains detergents, put some milk in a bottle with some water and shake it well. It is pure if it settles into a foamy layer. When milk is tainted, it develops a thick coating. Similarly, if you want to check if your milk, sugar, or jaggery is contaminated with chalk powder, mix it in a glass of water. Any precipitate at the glass's bottom shows the presence of chalk. To test if the veggies have been polished with color, soak them in water for a few minutes and watch the color dissolve in the water.

Steps to prevent Food Adulteration

The following are some steps to prevent food adulteration-

1. Steps to consider while transporting and storing food products- Insect infestation caused by the warehouse's humid and unsanitary conditions is a major threat to food grains, legumes, and spices. To increase grain quality, they should keep track of entering and exiting samples, as well as their dates. Extra precautions must be made to prevent grain from rotting during the rainy season and in excessively humid places. 
2. Steps to follow while processing food products- Certain Food Safety Standards and Regulations must be followed in order to prevent Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter outbreaks. The placement of the facility should be planned to prevent pest "hot spots" and pollution zones. Personal and environmental hygiene should be appropriately benchmarked.
3. Steps to consider while packing food products- Packaging should be resistant to chemical and microbiological contamination. The ink used on the container should not contain any harmful ingredients. To eliminate product recalls, food items should be properly labeled, including allergy information. Personnel hygiene and a clean production facility should be top priorities. 

Students can also read more about Bachelor of Science.

Why is food adulteration practiced?

For many years, you may have seen the habit of adding water to milk in order to enhance its quantity and benefit from a less volume of milk. Food adulteration is used as part of a corporate plan to increase profits through less expensive techniques. 

1. It is also done to make the dish look more appealing and to imitate a more popular food.
2. Food adulteration is frequently committed by persons who are unaware of the dangers it poses. 
3. It is still extensively practiced due to a lack of awareness and sufficient understanding.
4. Adulteration raises the weight of the product, allowing for greater profit and cheaper sales.
5. The growing population also contributes significantly to food adulteration.
6. The ineffectiveness of government efforts to curb it.

Also read more about the- Food Safety Officer.

Food Adulteration Tests

FSSAI has verified certain common rapid tests covering physical, chemical, and sensory adulteration in various food goods under Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test (DART). The following are some food adulteration tests-

1. Milk and Milk Products- Detection of water in milk by testing the fluidity of a milk sample on a polished slanting surface and leaving a white trail in the case of pure milk. When you shake the milk and water in the container, lather forms, indicating the presence of detergent in the milk. The presence of starch may be determined by boiling the milk product sample with water and adding iodine; the presence of starch is indicated by the presence of blue color.
2. Oil and fats- Place a glass of coconut oil in the refrigerator for 30 minutes; if the oil stays as a distinct layer, it is adulterated; if it hardens, it is coconut oil. When a small bit of yellow butter is added to an oil sample, it immediately turns red, indicating the presence of Tri-Ortho-Cresyl-Phosphate (TOCP).
3. Sugar and confectionery- If honey dispenses in water, it has sugar added. Place a sugar sample in a clear glass of water; the chalk sample will sink at the bottom.
4. Food grains and their derivatives- Extraneous materials, khesari dal, extra bran, and dhatura can be identified visually by thorough scrutiny. Add food grains to water; contaminated grains discolor rapidly. Add soaking lime to a teaspoon of rice; adulterated limes become crimson.
5. Salt, spices, and condiments- Use a stainless spoon to burn asafoetida, pure ones burn like camphor, and vice versa. Add black pepper to a glass of water; papaya seeds float on water and are therefore contaminated. Light blackberries shatter readily when pressed with a finger. Add turmeric powder to a glass of water; natural turmeric powder will settle with a yellow color, whereas contaminated turmeric powder will display a bright yellow color. Cut a slice of potato, add salt, wait, then add lemon juice; iodized salt becomes blue, whilst regular salt does not.
6. Vegetables and fruits- Take a saturated cotton piece and brush it over the outer surface of the veggies; the presence of malachite green makes the cotton green.Soak a cotton ball in water and rub it around the outside surface of a sweet potato; if the cotton absorbs color, this indicates that rhodamine B was used to color the outer surface.
7. Beverages- Dissolve coffee powder in water; coffee powder contaminated with clay particles or chicory will sink at the bottom. Place a little number of tea leaves on a glass plate and move the magnet; iron fillings will be visible on the magnet, allowing adulteration to be detected.
8. Quick Sensory Evaluation Tests- Synthetic milk has a harsh aftertaste and a soapy sensation when rubbed if contaminated. Black pepper covered with mineral oil has a kerosene-like odor. Rub sugar on your palm and sniff it; the presence of urea will give you an ammonia scent. Chapati's natural flavor is sweetish, however, contaminated chapati tastes bland (tasteless).

Food Adulteration Precautions

Here are some precautions to take to avoid adulteration-

1. Avoid foods that are dark in color, junk food, and other processed items.
2. Make certain that all grains, pulses, and other food products are cleaned and stored properly.
3. Before using fruits and vegetables, thoroughly wash them under running water.
4. Before purchasing food goods such as milk, oil, and other pouches, make sure the seal is still valid.
5. Always look for and purchase items with an FSSAI-validated label that includes the license number, list of ingredients, manufacturing date, and expiration date.

Students can also read more about Master of Science.

Advances in the detection of Food Adulteration

The following are some advances in the detection of food adulteration-

1. Electronic nose- Electronic sensing uses sensors and pattern recognition systems to replicate human senses for identification, comparison, quantification, and other applications such as data storage and retrieval. Used to distinguish food scents and discern odors and flavors.
2. Optoelectronic Sensing- Optoelectronics is concerned with radiation, including x-rays, gamma rays, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), and visible light. Act as light detectors, converting observed light impulses into corresponding electrical signals for computer processing. Using the change in refractive index parameter, an embedded optoelectronic sensing system consisting of an AVR microcontroller combined with an optical sensor, an LCD, and a keypad can detect milk adulteration with an accuracy of roughly 95%.
3. Because of the advanced integration of IR spectroscopy with chemometrics, the electronic tongue is a cost-effective instrument for detecting adulterants.
4. Biosensors for urea detection in milk.
5. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) to detect extremely low quantities of adulteration.