CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

STUDY OF ADULTERANTS IN FOOD

STUFFS

THIS PROJECT LOOKS

AT SOME SIMPLE
CHEMICAL TESTS
THROUGH WHICH
ADULTRANTS IN THE
FOOD STUFFS CAN BE
IDENTIFIED.

PRINCIPALS SIGNATURE TEACHERS SIGNATURE

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Certificate

2. Acknowledgement

3. Introduction

4. Theory

5. Experiment
Aim
Requirements
Procedure
Observation
Conclusion
Precautions

6. Some common ways of detecting food adulteration

7. Government measures

8. Bibliography
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that AKANKSHA HUMNE, a student of

class XII has successfully completed the research
project on the topic Study of Adulterants in Food
Stuffs under the guidance of MRS.VINEETA BHARTI
(Subject Teacher). This project is absolutely genuine
and does not indulge in plagiarism of any kind. The
references taken in making this project have been
declared at the end of this report.

Signature
(MRS. VINEETA BHARTI)
(Subject Teacher)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere

thanks to MRS. S.GOTEKAR (Principal), for providing
infrastructure necessary for successful completion of
this project. I extend my hearty thanks to
MRS. VINEETA BHARTI (Chemistry Teacher), for her
encouragement and for all the guidance that she
provided for this project work. I take this opportunity
to express my deep sense of gratitude for my parents
for invaluable guidance, constant encouragement,
constructive comments, sympathetic attitude and
immense motivation which has sustained my effort at
all stages of my life.
INTRODUCTION
Adulteration is the act of intentionally debasing the qu
ality of food
offered for sale either by mixture or substitution of inf
erior substances or by the removal of some
valuable ingredient.

In the past few decades adulteration of food has

become one of the most serious problems.
Consumption of adulterated food causes diseases like
cancer, asthma, ulcer, etc. Majority of adulterants
used by the shopkeepers are cheap substitutes which
are easily available. In order to prevent adulteration of
food products by dishonest traders, the
government had issued The Prevention of Food
Adulteration Act. The
Bureau of Indian Standards is the agency in India that
provides the certificate of reliability to food
manufacturers in India.
 THEORY
We are very fortunate to be born in a country which is
blessed with rich soil, diversified climate, many rivers and
the great Himalayas where almost all varieties of fruits,
vegetables and cereals, etc. can be grown. In ancient times,
the land was in abundance, the supply of food was more than
the demand and people used fresh food materials in most
natural form. The population spurt in our country has given
rise to unemployment and poverty.
The demand for food has increased & our country has to
importfood grains, oil etc.from other countries. This shortag
e of food and ignorance of consumers is the main cause for
adulteration of foodstuffs by the unscrupulous traders. It has
become so common that the consumers have to run from
pillars to pillars to get a foodstuff which is not adulterated.
The consumers are not aware of hazards of adulteration and
pay heavily for consuming adulterated food. If the consumer
knows the ways and means to check the commodities of
daily use, they can save themselves and there families from
this mind-boggling problem.
EXPERIMENT
Aim:
To detect the presence of adulterants in fat, oil and butter.

Requirements:
Test tube , conc. HCl, furfural, acetic anhydride, conc. H2SO4 ,
acetic acid, conc. HNO3 .

Procedure:
Common adulterants present in ghee and oil are paraffin
wax, hydrocarbons, dyes and argemone oil. These are
detected as follows:
1. Adulteration of vegetable ghee in desi ghee
(Bandouin test)
Take small amount of desi ghee in a test tube and add to it
1 ml of HCl and 2-3 drops of 2% alcoholic solution of
furfural. Shake the contents vigorously. Appearance of red
colour in the acid layer shows that vegetable ghee has
been mixed as an adulterant to desi ghee.

2. Adulteration of paraffin wax and hydrocarbon in

vegetable ghee
Heat small amount of vegetable ghee with acetic
anhydride. Droplets of oil floating on the surface of unused
acetic anhydride indicates the presence of wax or
hydrocarbon.
 3. Adulteration of dyes in fat -
Heat 1 ml of fat with a mixture of 1 ml of conc. Sulphuric
acid and 4 ml of acetic acid. Appearance of pink or red
colour indicates presence of dye in fat.

4. Adulteration of argemone oil in edible oils

To small amount of oil in a test tube, add few drops of
conc. HNO3 and shake. Appearance of red colour in the
acid layer indicates presence of argemone oil.

Observations:

S.No Food Stuff Quantity Observation Adulterant

taken

1. Desi ghee Appearance Vegetable Ghee

of red colour
in acid layer
2. Vegetable Droplets of Wax or
ghee oil floating on Hydrocarbon
surface of
unused acetic
anhydride
3. Fat Appearance Dye
of pink or red
colour
4. Edible oils Appearance Argemone oil
of red colour
in the acid
layer
Conclusion:

The increasing number of food producers and the out -

standing amounts of imported food stuffs enables the
producers to mislead and cheat consumers.To differentiate
of those who take advantage of legal rules from the oncewho
commit food adulteration is very difficult. The consciousness
of consumers has become very crucial. However, how can
we expect consequent behavior from them regarding
controversial issues emerging day by day? In addition,
ignorance and unfair market behaviors is endangering
consumer health. So we need sanctions and judicial penalties
with adequate restaning force to halt this process.

Precautions:

By taking a few precautions, we can escape from consuming

adulterated products.

1. Take only packed items of well known companies.

2. Buy items from reliable retail shops and recognized
outlets.
3. Check the ISI mark or Ag mark.
4. Buy products of only air tight popular brands.
5. Avoid craziness for artificially coloured sweets and buy
only from reputed shops.
6. Do not buy sweets or snacks kept in open.
7. Avoid buying things from street side vendors.
SOME COMMON WAYS OF
DETECTING FOOD ADULTERATION

1. Papaya seeds are used to adulterate black pepper seeds.

Add some of the adulterated sample to glass water. papaya
seeds float while pepper seeds do not.
2. Kesari dal is an adulterant in arahar dal and chana dal.
Kesaridal pointed and wedge shaped. chana dal/ arahar dal
is smooth and round.
3. Starch is used as an adulterant in milk. put few drops of
iodinesolution in milk . a blue or black colour indicates
starch.
4. Old used spices are often mix with spices sold as fresh.
Smell the spice, no or less smell indicates the adulteration.
5. Cheap edible oil in vanaspati. Add a solution of washing
soda tovanaspati and shake well. If froth appears on top,
cheap oil has beenadded to vanaspati.
6.Artificial dye in tea leaves. Put tea leaves or moistened blot
ting paper. Artificial colour leaves will impart colour to
blotting paper
 GOVERNMENT
MEASURES

To check the suppliers of food from doing so, the

government has passed astringent act which is known
as preservation of food Adulteration Act. They have
been implemented with the objective of providing
safety to human beings in the supply of food. It covers
safety from risks involved due to contamination of
poisonous elements.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.

2.

3.

4.
 KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA
AMBAJHARI

PROJECT MADE BY AKANKSHA HUMNE

CLASS XII A