5 Easy Food Adulteration Testing You can perform at home, as shared by Food Authority

Food Adulteration Test: Buying food from reliable sources is essential for our short -term and long -term health and well -being. This is particularly important because nowadays they are almost omnipresent. It is important to secure yourself against your wrong effects. Surprisingly, how to verify if your stores have been tampered with? To increase public awareness, FSSAI (India’s Food and Safety Standards Authority) often shares simple adulteration tests that people can do at home. Here are five of them which you have to see:

Also read: Are you drinking milk safely? Check for adulteration with these simple tests

5 Easy Food Adulteration Testing You can perform at home, shown by FSSAI

1. Saffron

Spices can be quite expensive. Therefore, in addition to health concerns, adulteration of spices is also from waste of significant amount. Saffron is considered one of the most spices. Thus, it is no surprise that it is often aiming for tampering. FSSAI has shared a hack for examination whether saffron has been mixed with dry tendrils of maize cobs. You just need a glass of water that is heated to about 70–80 ° C. Add some varieties of saffron to the glass and see what happens. If they slowly release color, it means that saffron is uncontrolled. If the release is faster and more intense, you should be careful. Watch the full demo video here to know more.

2. black pepper

_{Food adulteration test: Black pepper can be mixed with blackberry. Photo Credit: Pixboy}

Another spice adulteration test that you can do at home is for black papercorn, which is often mixed with blackberries. This is a very simple way to check if there are papercorn at your home, the real deal. Spread a small volume of them on a flat surface like a table. Then press on papercorn using your thumb. If the sample is adulterated, it will break easily – as it contains blackberry. The actual papercorn is very difficult to break using your bare hands. Watch the full video here.

3. Sweet potato

In addition to spices, vegetables are another basic component category that becomes a regular part of our diet. The external appearance of vegetables can be ‘extended’ using artificial colors to make it more attractive to consumers. For example, sweet potatoes can be mixed with Rodamine B, a chemical dye used for industrial purposes. If you want to test whether it is safe to consume potatoes, then first immerse a cotton ball in water or vegetable oil. Then rub it on the outer surface of the sweet potato. If a red-violet tinge is found after rubbing the cotton ball, it indicates the appearance of Rodamine B. Watch the full video here.

4. tea leaves

Tea leaves can often be adulterated to improve their color. To verify if your leaves have been paired with tired tea leaves, you need filter paper and water. Spread tea leaves on paper and sprinkle water on it. Then wash the paper under water until all the leaves have been removed. Against light, now take a look at paper. Do you see black-brown stains on it? If yes, your tea leaves are adulterated. Get more information here.

5. cooking oil

Cooking oil can be contaminated with Tri-Artho-Kreshell-Fosphate, a compound resulting in toxicity. You can use another everyday component to check this specific type of adulteration. First, take a small amount of oil in a bowl or glass. Add one teaspoon yellow butter to the oil. If the color of the solution changes, it indicates that the oil is impure. Watch the full video here.

Also read: Avoid using a newspaper to wrap, serve food: Health risks in Food Authority

Food security is also a collective responsibility with a person. Knowing these tips and tricks can not only help you protect your health, but can also become a better consumer.