Food adulterants and toxicants in Preventive and Social medicine

1. FOOD ADULTERANTS & TOXICANTS
Dr. Sookun Rajeev K
M.D
Dept Of Community Medicine

2. What is Adulteration??
Adulteration usually refers to mixing other matter of an inferior
and sometimes harmful quality with food or drink intended to be
sold. As a result of adulteration, food or drink becomes impure
and unfit for human consumption.
"Adulteration" is a legal term meaning that a food product fails
to meet federal or state standards.

4. The Maggi Issue!

5. Examples of Foods & Their Adulterants
1. Turmeric, dals and pulses such as moong or channa
Adulterant : Metanil Yellow and Kesari Dal (Added to enhance
the yellow colour of a food substance).
Harmful effect: it is highly carcinogenic and if consumed over a
continuous period of time it can also cause stomach disorders.

6. 2. Green chilies, Green peas and other vegetables
Adulterant : Malachite Green (To accentuate the bright, glowing green colour
of the vegetable).Argemone seeds (used to add bulk and weight)that it is a
coloured dye.
Harmful effect: Carcinogenic for humans if consumed over a long period of
time.

8. 3. Mustard seeds and mustard oil
Adulterant : Argemone seeds (used to add bulk and
weight).Papaya seeds (used to add bulk)
Harmful Effect: Cause epidemic dropsy and severe glaucoma.
Young children and senior citizens with poor immunity are more
susceptible this.

9. 4. Paneer, Khoya, Condensed Milk and Milk
Adulterant : starch (used to give it thick, rich texture).
Harmful effect: is that it is unhygienic, unprocessed water and
starch can cause stomach disorders. Starch greatly reduces the
nutritional value of the ingredient.

11. Melamine and Chinese Milk Supply, 2008

12. 5. Ice cream
Adulterant: pepperonil, ethylacetate, butraldehyde, ethyl
acetate, nitrate, washing powder etc which are not less than
poison. Pepper oil is used as a pesticide.
Harmful Effect : causes terrible diseases affecting lungs,
kidneys and heart.

13. 6. Black pepper.
Adulterant: Papaya seeds (used to add bulk).
Harmful effect: Papaya seeds can cause serious liver
problems and stomach disorders.

14. 7. Coffee Powder
Adulterant: Tamarind seeds, chicory powder.
Harmful effect: it can cause diarrhea, stomach disorders,
giddiness and severe joint pains

15. 8. Adulteration in olive oil

16. Law against Food Adulteration
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of a country
develops science based standards for food and to regulate
and monitor the manufacture, processing, storage,
distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure the
availability of safe and wholesome food for human
consumption.
Key Regulations include:
A. Packaging and Labeling
B. Signage and Customer Notices
C. Licensing Registration and Health
And Sanitary Permits

18. COMMON FOOD RESPECTIVE ADULTERANTS DETECTION TEST
Rice wheat flour Stones,Straw, Low grade rice Visual detection
Wheat Flour Talc,Chalk powder,Tapioca
flour,bran
Sprinkle on water,
bran floats, wheat
sinks
Whole pulses &
flours, dals
Dals-Kesari, Arhar, Bakhla.
Dyes-metanil yellow,lead
chromate, flours-yellow
maize,tapioca, kesari
Kesari dal is pointed
and wedge shaped
Vegetable & Fruits Colouring Agents
Milk Water,refined oil,water chestnit
flour
A drop of milk on a
polished vertical
surface if pure, either
stops or flows
slowly,leaving a white
trail.Milk adulterated
with water flows
quickly without a trail

19. COMMON FOOD RESPECTIVE ADULTERANTS DETECTION TEST
Sugar Chalk Powder, White sand,
Semolina
Sugar dissolves in
water but adulterants
wont
Honey Invert Sugar, Concentrated
sugar colution, Jaggery
A cotton wick dipped
in honey when lit, will
burn, if adulterated,
the presence of water
will not allow the
honey to burn/or
causes crackling
Vegetable oil Oil-castor, Argemore
Ghee Potato/sweet potato,Vanaspati
Salt Powdered white stone, Chalk Stir salt in water, chalk
makes the solution
white

20. COMMON FOOD RESPECTIVE ADULTERANTS DETECTION TEST
Whole Black
Pepper
Papaya Seeds Sprinkle on water, papaya
seeds float, pepper seeds
don’t
Turmeric Dyes-lead chromate, Metanil
Yellow, Coal Tar, Starch.
Yellow Earth. Yellow coloured
talc/ Sawdust
Chilli Powder Sawdust and colour When put in water,the
sawdust will float on the
surface and the colour will
run.If the sediments at the
bottom feel gritty when
rubbed, it indicated
presence of brick powder
Coriander
Powder
Horse dung powder Immersed in water,the horse
dung floats while the
coriander powder sinks