Overview
Food adulteration is a serious issue that has been affecting the quality and safety of our food for generations. It is time to put an end to this practice and demand that our food supply be free from harmful contaminants. Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of food adulteration cases reported across different parts of the world.
The Indian Government acknowledged the gravity of this issue with the enactment of several legislations, including the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. However, the nature of food adulteration varies from state to state, and newer adulterants may arise as a result of changing environmental factors or improved production and cultivation practices.
Food adulteration poses a major public health hazard and affects the quality of life of people. Consuming adulterated food can lead to several diseases that can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal. In India, food safety is an overwhelming problem, with rampant instances of adulteration and contamination of essential foods that can be a potential source of disease
infection or toxic poisoning.
It is the responsibility of everyone to stay vigilant and aware of what they are consuming. Consumers play a vital role in preventing food adulteration by being aware of the different types of common food adulterants and signs to look out.
What is food adulteration?
Food adulteration refers to the act of adding inferior or harmful substances to food products, compromising their quality and safety. It is a grave concern that affects both consumers' health and the integrity of the food industry. Adulterants may include harmful chemicals, toxic substances, or substandard ingredients, all of which can have severe health consequences when consumed.
Common examples of food adulteration involve the addition of artificial colours, pesticides, preservatives, or even unapproved ingredients. Detecting food adulteration requires stringent quality control measures and testing procedures. Consumers play a vital role by being vigilant and aware, reading labels, and choosing reputable sources for their food.
Types of food adulteration
Food adulteration is a concerning issue affecting the quality and safety of our food. It refers to the act of adding inferior or harmful substances to food products, deceiving consumers and compromising their health. Being aware of the different types of food adulteration is essential to make informed choices and safeguard our well-being.
Adulteration with Chemicals
One prevalent type of food adulteration involves the addition of harmful chemicals to food products. Certain vendors may use substances like artificial colours, preservatives, and chemical additives to enhance the appearance, taste, and shelf life of food items.
For instance, fruits and vegetables may be sprayed with pesticides beyond permissible limits, which can pose serious health risks. Similarly, synthetic dyes are often added to spices, sweets, and beverages to improve their visual appeal.
Adulteration with Substandard Ingredients
Another common form of food adulteration is the use of substandard ingredients to reduce production costs and increase profits. For example, milk may be diluted with water or adulterated with synthetic milk-like substances, such as urea or detergent powder.
Edible oils are also prone to adulteration by adding cheaper oils or mixing them with non-edible substances like mineral oil, leading to adverse health effects.
Adulteration through Mislabeling
Mislabeling is a deceitful practice that involves incorrect or misleading information on food labels. It can mislead consumers about the quality, origin, or composition of the product.
One common example is the misrepresentation of the country of origin, where inferior products are labelled as originating from reputable sources. This type of adulteration deceives consumers into believing they are purchasing a superior product.
Adulteration with Contaminants
Food products can also be contaminated with harmful substances during production, processing, or storage. Contaminants like heavy metals, mycotoxins, and microbial pathogens can find their way into various food items. For instance, seafood may contain high levels of mercury, while grains can be contaminated with aflatoxins. These contaminants can have detrimental effects on human health, including organ damage, cancer, and foodborne illnesses.
Intentional adulteration
It occurs when someone purposefully adds undesired substances that have a similar appearance in order to make the product heavier or larger overall. Chalk powder, mud, sand, pebbles, stone, tainted water, etc. are some examples of popular food adulterants used for this purpose.
Metallic Impureness
Another way food might be tampered with is by adding metallic substances like lead or mercury. It could be intentional or unintentional.
List of Food Adulterants
| Food product | Adulterant | Harmful effect |
| Butter, Ghee and cheese | Vanaspathi , starch powder, and mashed potatoes | Stomach disorders |
| Pulses, turmeric, and dals | Kesari dal, Metanil yellow | Highly carcinogenic, stomach disorder |
| Jam, Juice and Candies | Non-permitted dyes such as metanil yellow | Highly carcinogenic |
| Mustard oil and mustard seed | Argemone seed, papaya seed | Severe glaucoma, Epidemic dropsy |
| Milk or curd | Starch powder or water | Stomach issues |
| Coffee powder | Chicory powder, Tamarind seed | Stomach disorder, Diarrhoea, giddiness, severe joint pains |
| Grains | Dust, straw, stones, pebbles, damaged grain, weed seeds etc. | Liver disorders, Toxicity in the body, etc. |
| Chilli and coriander powder | Red brick powder, red lead, lead metal, and dung powder. | Cancer, stomach problems, metal toxicity, blood pressure issues, etc. |
How to detect adulterated food?
The following are a few methods that can be used at home:
- Pour milk into a bottle and give it a good shake to see if it has been tainted with detergent. If it produces froth, adulterants are present in the milk. If not, such substances are absent from it.
- Take it in a jar and mix it with water to detect tainted goods like chalk powder in jaggery or sugar. It contains pollutants if you notice some residue precipitating at the bottom.
- Vegetables can be checked for adulteration by being washed in warm water. If coloured water is left behind, contaminants are present.
Harmful Effects of Food Adulteration on Health
Food that has been contaminated has additional contaminants, rendering it unsafe for human consumption. Our health will be impacted both immediately and later on if we consume contaminated food over an extended period of time. Consuming unclean food puts your health at risk, so it's best to produce as much of your own food as you can, buy from organic stores, or buy directly from farmers.
Food that has been tampered with is of poor quality and provides very little nourishment. Additionally, some tainted food has a distinct flavour. When we purchase and consume tainted food, we are jeopardising our health and flavour.
Lead chromate can result in anaemia, paralysis, brain damage, and miscarriages when combined with spices like turmeric powder. Cobalt, which can be harmful to the heart, may be found in water and alcoholic beverages.
Additionally, colic, vomiting, and diarrhoea could be brought on by tin, copper, and zinc. Exceeding the legal limit in coloured food can result in allergies, hyperactivity, liver damage, infertility, anaemia, cancer, and abnormal birth outcomes, whether the colour is a permitted food colour like metal yellow or not.
How can Adulteration be Prevented?
The National Health Service and Food Research Institute claim that a number of food products have been tampered with to produce more of them and raise profits. In developing nations and other backward nations, it is quite usual to add adulterants to food goods.
Here are some safety recommendations to prevent adulteration
- Steer clear of processed, junk, and foods with dark colours.
- Ensure that all the grains, pulses, and other food goods are cleaned and stored.
- Before using, give fruits and vegetables a thorough wash under running water.
- Before purchasing food products like milk, oil, and other pouches, be sure the seal is still intact.
- Always be sure to look for and purchase products with an FSSAI-validated label that includes the licence number, ingredient list, date of manufacturing, and expiration.
Summary
Food adulteration is a grave concern that compromises the safety and quality of the food we consume daily. By being aware of the various types of food adulteration, we can take steps to minimise our exposure and make informed choices.
Why is food adulteration harmful?
What are the three types of adulteration?
(1) Intentional adulteration, where harmful substances are deliberately added to food for economic gain.
(2) Incidental adulteration, which occurs due to contamination during production, processing, or storage.
(3) Fraudulent practices, where misleading information or mislabeling is used to deceive consumers about the quality or composition of food products.
