Food Adulteration How to detect adulterants ? What are the diseases ? What is Consumer Protection Act ? What are the precautions ?

Some Simple Tests to Identify Adulterated Food Food articleAdulterantsDetection Honey Sugar syrupOriginal honey will easily sink in water; duplicate will disperse / a wick soaked in duplicate honey will burn with cracking sound Black pepperPapaya seedsPapaya seeds have no smell and they are relatively smaller Coconut oilOther mineral oilCoconut oil fridges / solidifies in refrigerator. Any other oil doesn’t fridge. Bura sugar (Sugar powder) Washing soda or Chalk powder Add HCl (dil.) / vinegar, effervescene Corriander & Cumin powder Saw dustAdd some powder of spices to a bowl of water, podwer sinks, saw dust floats

Food articleAdulterantsDetection Wheat / Rice / Corn flour Chalk powder or Washing soda Add HCl / vinegar, effervescene will produce MilkWaterPut some drops of pure milk on a glass sheet, white trail will left behind, whereas adultered milk (having water) leaves no trail Tea dustIron fillingsMove a magnet over tea dust, iron fillings will stick to magnet. Coffee powderTamarind seed powder Add coffee powder to a bowl of water, coffee powder floats and the adulterants sink Tomato ketchupRed colourDrop some ketchup in a glass having water, it will sink down and doesn’t give red colour easily. Whereas adultered ketchup disperse easily with blood-red colour. Chilli powderBrick powder / Brownish red colour Original chilli powder will not dissolve easily and does not give dark red colour in water

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF FOOD ADULTERATION ON HUMAN HEALTH???

Following are some of the health effects cause due to consuming adultered food : 1.Stomach problems / Digestion disorder 2.Diarhhoea 3.Vomitting 4.Food poisoning 5.Skin allergies 6.Liver problems 7.Cancer

HOW TO PREVENT FOOD ADULTERATION ???

The standard for ensuring quality of food products are ‘ISI’ (Indian Standard Institution) standard and ‘AGMARK’ (Agricultural Marketing) standard.AGMARK’

Adulteration and law The Government of India has promulgated an Act called the “Prevention of Food Adulteration Act’ in the year The Act has been periodically amended to check dishonest practices of traders. If the traders violate the standards mentioned in the Act, they are punishable under law. The quality controlling agencies like Indian Standards Institution (ISI) and Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (AGMARK) test the food products periodically for their quality. FPO - Food Processing Organisation and the local health departments in the City Corporation also conduct periodic surveys and issue certificates. All the packets containing food products must carry ISI, AGMARK or FPO stamp.

Prevention Is Better than Cure : -  Buy food items from reputed shops only.  Dine at reputed restaurants only. Check if the premises are kept clean.  It is better to avoid adulterated cool drinks, instead you can have any fresh fruit juice.  Parents should be concerned about the quality and freshness of these food items like chocolates, sweets that children usually like.  We need to check if the packaging is intact, and also check the expiry date. Do not buy food articles, if expiry date is crossed.  Make sure that food packets carry ISI, AGMARK or FPO labels, before buying.  Take the help of food adulteration testing centres. Lodge complaints to the concerned authorities, if adulteration is detected.  Spread awareness in the local community on the ill effects of food adulteration  It is prudent that every one of us takes special interest in this subject and educate our families, friends and colleagues about this menace. Precaution to be taken regarding Adulteration

Adulteration is an inhuman act by vendors for the sake of profit. Various diseases related to skin, liver and stomach. Prevention is better than cure. In case you find adulteration on bying any product contact your city’s consumer protection office. (Grahak Suraksha Karyalay) CONCLUSION