Investigators

Project
In
STUDY OF COMMON ADULTERANTS
IN DIFFERENT
FOOD STUFFS

THEOSOPHICAL INTER COLLEGE

ETAWAH
Submitted

by :

ANURAG DWIVEDI
CLASS --XII

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that investigatory project intilled
STUDY OF COMMON ADULTERANTS IN
DIFFERENT FOOD STUFFS is an original work
done by ANURAG DWIVEDI
DURING 2006-2007 under my supervision and
guidance of Mr.RAJEEV TIWARI .

(Dr. Sunil Pandey)

( Mr. Rajeev Tiwari)
Director-Principal
(P.G.T. Chemistry)
Theosophical Inter College
ERAWAH

signature---------------------------Date--------------------

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project is decided to be the study of common

adulterants in different food stuffs I pay my
thank to my chemistry teacher (Mr .Rajeev
Tiwari) they help me and guided me a lot a
led to the completion of this project .I would
also like to thanks wsite of those book
which I used .
I am also thankful to my principal college and
parents who have always given me their
full support which was of immense help to
wards completion of this project .
I pay my heartly gratitude to all those who
directly or indirectly helped me to make
this project. by
ANURAG DWIVEDI XII

DECLARATION

I here by declares that the project entitled the study of common

adulterants in different food stuffs is an original work done by

me during the year 2006-2007 guidance and supervision of my
chemistry teacher

PREVENTION OF ADULTERATION---In order to prevent the adulteration of food the goversuent has said down certain
stardards for quality of food & the hygienic condition under witch it should be
manufactured these are known as the prevention of food adulteration acts & rules
& food product orders. These are framed to week the adulteration these acts &
rules have following objectives.
(i)
These rules say down the minimum standards for the quality of food to be
manufactured.
(ii)
The date of manufacture & expiry should be indicated on food item.
(iii)
The weight or volume of food contents must be mentioned.
(iv) The retail price of the food contents must be indicated.
(v) The acts also say down the punishment for the varions offences of food
adulteration.
The bureau of India standard inspect the variant food product
manufactured and provides certificates of reliably of food manufactured after
proper certificated of reliability are
(i)
FPO (food Product Order) mark.
(ii)
ISI (Indian Standard Institution) mark.
(iii)
AGMARK (Agricultural Quartering).
In order to test the purity of various food items, most of the big cities have
testing laboratories the officials of the health department of the city corporation
late samples of the various food products periodically these sample are tested for
adulteration in case an adulteration in food is detected the manufactured & the
seller are prosecuted & punished.

INTRODUCTION
The meaning of undesirable substances in the food is called food adulteration
in the past few decades the adulteration of food has become a very
serious problems .Generally the substances of low quality cheap, non
edible substances are mixed with food items to earn more profit by some
antisocial persons .The substances which are added to the foodstuffs are
called adulterants these are much more cheaper but look similar to the
main food stuffs food adulteration is a serious crime and is punishable
under the law consumption of adulterated food can cause serious
disorders such as diarrhea ulcer food poisoning asthma, cancer and may
even resulting in death some of the common food stuffs of daily use &
the various adulterants which are generally mixed with them are given
below:-

Food stuff

Common Adulterants

1-cereals such as wheat ,rice .

2-Dals
3-Haldi powder
4-Dhania powder
5-Black pepper
6-Chilli powder

Mud, grit, soapstone.

Kesar dal , metanil yellow.
lead chromate.
Powodered cowdung or hosedung .
Dried papaya seeds.
Saw dust , brick powder.
Argemone seeds.
Cheaper oil such as minerals &
argemone oils.
Extraction of fat, addition of starch.

7-Mustard seeds
8-Edible oils
9-Milk
10-Honey

OBJECTIVE:-Study of common food adulterants in fat, oil ,butter , sugar , turmeric powder ,
chilly powder and papper

Objective-2:
To test the presence of vanaspati ghee and starchy matter in the
given sample of pure ghee or butter.
Theory:
Starchy matter can be detected with iodine. Iodine forms a blue
coloured complex with starch.
Vanaspati ghee gives pink colour with furfural.
Apparatus:
Test tube, test tube stand, test tube holder.
Chemicals:
Iodine or tincture of iodine solution, hydrochloric acid, sugar, given
sample of ghee or butter.

Procedure:
(1)Detection of starchy matter :
Take about 0.5g of the given ghee or butter in a
test tube. Add about ml of water to it & boil. Cool &
add a drop of iodine or tincture of iodine solution. Appearance of blue colour
maicates presence of starchy matter in the sample.
(2) Detection of Vanaspati:

Take about 0.5g of the given sample of ghee or

butter in a test tube. Heat the test tube gently so that the ghee meets and add a
little sugar and hydrochloric acid to it. Shake the contents for five minutes.
Presence of pink colour in the aqueous layer is medication of vanaspati ghee in
the sample.
Comments:
Better result can be obtain by using 2% alcoholic solution of furfural
in place of sugar.

Objective-3:
To test the presence of adulterants in the given sample of sugar.
Theory:
Common adulterants of sugar are washing soda,chalk powder,semolina.
Sugar is soluble in water, so if any undissolved substance is left on dissolving
sugar in water, then it is indication of adulterants in it. Washing soda & chalk
powder, both given effervescence with dil.HCl. Hence their presence in the
sugar sample can be detected by treating small amount of sugar with oil with
dil.HCl.
Apparatus:
Test tube and test tube stand.
Chemicals:
Dilute hydrochloric acid and distilled water.
Procedure:
(1)Take about one gram of the sugar sample in a test tube & add about 5 ml of
water into it. Shake the contents of the tube for about 4-5 minutes. Presence of
undissolved substance in dilates adulteration in the sugar.

(2)Take about one gram of sugar sample in a clean and dry test tube. Add to it
about 2 ml of dilute hydrochloric acid. Effervescence on addition of acid
indicates the presence of chalk or washing powder in the sugar.

Note:
Powder the sugar before testing its solubility in water.

Objective-4:
To find out the possibility of adulteration in given sample of chilli
powder.

Theory:
Red chilli powder is adulterated with eithwr coloured or brick powder.
Brick powder being heavy than chilli powder, therefore settles at bottom on
dissolving it in a glass of water. If coloured being added to the chilli powder,
then water becomes coloured.

Apparatus:
One glass or beaker and a glass rod.
Chemicals:
Water.
Procedure:
Add small amount of the given chilli powder in a glass full of water.
Stir the contents with a glass rod for a minute & wait for 2-3 minutes. Settling
of brick powder at bottom and appearance of red colour indicates adulteration
in the given sample.

Objective-5:
To find out whether the given sample of turmeric powder is pure
or not.
Theory:
Yellow chalk powder , a common adulterant , of the turmeric powder
gives effervescence with dil.hydrochloric acid.
Apparatus:
Test tube and test tube stand.
Chemicals:
Dilute hydrochloric acid and water.
Procedure:
(1)Take about 0.5g of the powdered sample in a test tube. Add to it about one
ml of dil.HCl. Effervescence indicates the presence of chalk powder in the
sample.
(2)Dilute the content of the tube with 25-30 ml of water. Disappearance of the
violet colour formed previously indicates the purity of the turmeric powder. But
if violet colour first formed with dil.HCl persist, then it is contaminated with
yellow dye.

Objective-6:
To find out the adulterant in black pepper.
Theory:
Black pepper is adulterated with dry papaya seeds. Dry papaya seeds
are lighter than black pepper therefore are floating at the surface of the water &
black pepper get settle at the bottom of the beaker.
Apparatus:
One glass or beaker and glass rod.
Chemicals:
Water.
Procedure:
Add some amount of given sample of black pepper in a given glass
full of water. Stir the contents with a glass rod for a minute & wait for 2-3
minutes. Dried papaya seeds being lighter floats over H2O while pure pepper
setting at bottom. This indicates that black pepper is adulterated with dry
papaya seeds.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.ABC OF CHEMISTRY.
2.N.C.E.R.T.
3.PRADEEP.
4.SELF TUTOIR