Detect Adulteration With Rapid Test

Common quick tests for detection of some food adulterants at household.

Milk & Milk Products

4 Tests

Oil and Fats

3 Tests

Sugar & Confectionery

3 Tests

Food Grains & Its Products

9 Tests

Salt, Spices & Condiments

18 Tests

Fruits & Vegetables

3 Tests

Beverages

4 Tests

sensory
Sensory evaluation quick tests

About DART

Food is essential for sustenance of life. Adulteration of food deceive the consumer and can cause risk to their health. The purpose of this manual is to list out common methodologies available for food adulterants generally found in India.

The scope of this manual is meant for household, which can induce awareness among the consumer about food safety.

Milk & Milk Products

Testing Method:
  • Put a drop of milk on a polished slanting surface.
  • Pure milk either stays or flows slowly leaving a white trail behind.
  • Milk adulterated with water will flow immediately without leaving a mark.
Pure milk
Pure milk
Adulterated milk
Adulterated milk
Testing Method:
  • Take 5 to 10ml of sample with an equal amount of water.
  • Shake the contents thoroughly.
  • If milk is adulterated with detergent, it forms dense lather.
  • Pure milk will form very thin foam layer due to agitation.
Pure milk
Pure milk
Adulterated milk
Adulterated milk
Testing Method:
  • Boil 2-3 ml of sample with 5ml of water.
  • Cool and add 2-3 drops of tincture of iodine.
  • Formation of blue colour indicates the presence of starch.(In the case of milk, addition of water and boiling is not required)
Pure milk
Pure milk
Adulterated milk
Adulterated milk
Testing Method:
  • Take ½ teaspoon of ghee/butter in a transparent glass bowl.
  • Add 2-3 drops of tincture of iodine.
  • Formation of blue colour indicates the presence of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and other starches.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated

Oil and Fats

Testing Method:
  • Take coconut oil in a transparent glass.
  • Place this glass in refrigerator for 30 minutes.(Do not keep in the freezer)
  • After refrigeration, coconut oil solidifies.
  • If coconut oil is adulterated, then other oils remain as a separate layer.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take 2ml of sample of oil.
  • Add on a little amount of yellow butter (Solid).
  • Immediate formation of red colour indicates the presence of TOCP.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take 100ml sample oil in bottle, cork tightly and seal with paraffin.
  • The bottle is completely submerged in bucket containing finely cracked ice and water is added until it rises to top of the bottle.
  • The bucket is kept filled solidly with ice by removing any excess water and adding ice when necessary.
  • After 5.5 hours remove the bottle and examine oil.
  • If it is properly winterised, sample will be brilliant, clear and limpid.
Refined winterized salad oils
Refined winterized salad oils

Sugar & Confectionery

  • Take a transparent glass of water.
  • Add a drop of honey to the glass.
  • Pure honey will not disperse in water.
  • If the drop of honey disperses in water, it indicates the presence of added sugar
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
  • Take a cotton wick dipped in a pure honey and light with a match stick.
  • Pure honey will burn.
  • If adulterated, the presence of water will not allow the honey to burn if it does; it will produce a cracking sound.
Testing Method:
  • Take a transparent glass of water.
  • Dissolve 10g of sample in water.
  • If sugar/pithi sugar/jaggery is mixed with chalk, the adulterant will settle down at the bottom.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take some portion of the leaf and crush it between two fingers.
  • Pure silver leaves will be easily crushed and crumble to the powder form while aluminium leaves will only break into smaller shreds.
  • Further take the suspected silver leaves and make it in the form of a ball and burn it with the help of a flame.
  • Pure silver leaves burn away completely leaving glistening balls while aluminium leaves are reduced to grey ash.
Silver leaves
Silver leaves
Aluminium leaves
Aluminium leaves

Food Grains & Its Products

Testing Method:
  • Take small quantity of sample in a glass plate.
  • Examine the impurities visually.
  • Pure food grains will not have any such impurities.
  • Impurities are observed visually in adulterated food grains.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take small quantity of food grains in a glass plate.
  • Examine the impurities visually.
  • Dhatura seeds which are flat with edges and blackish brown in colour can be separated out by close examination.
  • Impurities are observed visually in adulterated food grains.
Dhatura seeds in food grains
Dhatura seeds in food grains
Dhatura seeds
Dhatura seeds
Testing Method:
  • Take a transparent glass of water.
  • Sprinkle a spoon of wheat flour on the surface of water.
  • Pure wheat flour will not show excess bran on water surface.
  • Impurities are observed visually in adulterated food grains.
Pure wheat flour
Pure wheat flour
Excess bran in wheat flour
Excess bran in wheat flour
Testing Method:
  • Take small quantity of dal whole or split in a glass plate.
  • Examine the impurities visually.
  • Khesari dal which has edged type appearance showing a slant on one side and square in appearance can be separated out by close examination.
  • Pure dal will not have any such impurities.
Pure dal
Pure dal
Khesari dal
Khesari dal
Testing Method:
  • Take a transparent glass of water.
  • Add 2 teaspoons of food grains and mix thoroughly.
  • Pure food grains will not leave any colour.
  • Adulterated food grains leaves colour immediately in water.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take a tea spoon of rice in a glass plate.
  • Sprinkle a small amount of soaked lime (commonly known as chuna which is used in pan) on the rice grains.
  • Pure grains will not form red colour.
  • Adulterated grains will form red colour.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take cotton ball soaked in water or vegetable oil. (conduct the test separately).
  • Rub the outer surface of the ragi.
  • If cotton absorbs colour, then it indicates the adulteration of rhodamine B for colouring the outer surface of ragi.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take small quantity of pulses in a transparent glass plate.
  • Examine the impurities visually.
  • Chakunda beans can be separated out by close examination.
Chakunda beans
Chakunda beans
Testing Method:
  • These can be identified by visual examination.
Atta, Maida, Suji (Rawa)
Atta, Maida, Suji (Rawa)
Sand, Soil, insects, webs, lumps, rodent hair & excreta
Sand, Soil, insects, webs, lumps, rodent hair & excreta

Salt, Spices & Condiments

  • Burn small quantity of asafoetida in a stainless steel spoon.
  • Pure asafoetida will burn like camphor.
  • Adulterated asafoetida will not produce bright flame like camphor.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
  • Powder a gram of asafoetida and take it in a glass container.
  • Add one tea spoon of water. Mix thoroughly by shaking.
  • Milky white solution with no sediments represents pure asafoetida.
Asafetida
Asafetida
Non-Edible Gum/Resin
Non-Edible Gum/Resin
  • Add some amount of black pepper to a glass of water.
  • Pure black pepper settles at the bottom.
  • In the adulterated black pepper, papaya seeds float on the surface of water.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
  • Spread spice on a white paper.
  • Observe the appearance of the sample using the magnifying glass.
  • Black pepper is brown in colour. It has a wrinkled surface and has a characteristic smell and pungent taste.
  • The papaya seeds have shrunken smooth surface and oval shape. It is greenish brown or blackish brown in colour and has a repulsive flavour.
Black Papper
Black Papper
Papaya seeds
Papaya seeds
Testing Method:
  • Press the berries with the help of fingers.
  • Light berries will break easily while black berries of pepper will not break.
Black pepper
Black pepper
Light black berries
Light black berries
Testing Method:
  • Shake little portion of the sample with water and allow to settle.
  • Pure asafoetida will not leave any soap stone or other earthy matter at the bottom.
  • If asafoetida is adulterated, soap stone or other earthy matter will settle down at the bottom.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Sprinkle chilli powder on the surface of water taken in a glass tumbler.
  • The artificial colourants will immediately start descending in colour streaks.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Float the sample of black pepper in alcohol (rectified spirit).
  • The mature black pepper berries sink while the light black pepper floats.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Add the sample to water.
  • The saw dust will float at the surface of water while Chilli powder will settle down in bottom.
Chilli powder
Chilli powder
Saw dust
Saw dust
Testing Method:
  • Add the sample to water.
  • The artificial colourants will immediately start descending in colour streaks.
Asafoetia
Asafoetia
Starch
Starch
Testing Method:
  • Stir a spoonful of sample of salt in a glass of water.
  • The presence of chalk will make solution white and other insoluble impurities will settle down.
Common salt
Common salt
Chalk
Chalk
Testing Method:
  • Take some water in a glass and put cloves.
  • Genuine cloves will settle down at the bottom while exhausted cloves will float on surface.
Cloves
Cloves
Volatile oil extracted cloves
Volatile oil extracted cloves
Testing Method:
  • Take small quantity of cinnamon in a glass plate.
  • If adulterated, on close visual examination, cassia bark that comprises of several layers in between the rough outer and inner most smooth layers can be differentiated from cinnamon.
  • Cinnamon barks are very thin that can be rolled around a pencil or pen. It has a distinct smell.
Cinnmon
Cinnmon
Cassia
Cassia
Testing Method:
  • Rub small amount of cumin seeds on palms.
  • If palms turn black, adulteration is indicated.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take small quantity of mustard seeds in a glass plate.
  • Examine visually for the argemone seeds.
  • Mustard seeds have a smooth surface and when pressed, inside it is yellow in colour.
  • Argemone seeds have grainy, rough surface and are black in colour. When pressed, inside it is white in colour.
Mustard seeds
Mustard seeds
Argemone seeds
Argemone seeds
Testing Method:
  • Add small quantity of turmeric whole in a transparent glass of water.
  • Pure turmeric will not leave any colour.
  • Adulterated turmeric appears to be bright in colour and leaves colour immediately in water.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of water.
  • Natural turmeric powder leaves light yellow colour while settling down.
  • Adulterated turmeric powder will leave a strong yellow colour in water while settling down.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Sprinkle powdered spices on the water surface.
  • Pure spices will not leave any saw dust/powdered bran on the surface of water.
  • If spices are adulterated, saw dust/powdered bran will float on the surface.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Cut a piece of potato, add salt and wait for a minute.
  • Add two drops of lemon juice.
  • If it is iodised salt, blue colour will develop.
  • In the case of common salt, there will be no blue colour.
Iodised salt
Iodised salt
Common salt
Common salt
Testing Method:
  • Genuine saffron will not break easily like artificial. Artificial saffron is prepared by soaking maize cob in sugar and colouring it with coal tar.
  • Take a transparent glass of water and add small quantity of saffron.
  • If saffron is adulterated, the artificial colour dissolves in water rapidly. A bit of pure saffron when allowed to dissolve in water will continue to give its saffron colour so long as it lasts.
Saffron
Saffron
Coloured tendrils
Coloured tendrils

Fruits & Vegetables

  • Take a cotton piece soaked in water or vegetable oil. (conduct the test separately).
  • Rub the outer green surface of a small part of green vegetable/chilli.
  • If the cotton turns green, then it is adulterated with malachite green.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
  • Take a small part of the sample and place on a piece of moistened white blotting paper.
  • The impression of colour on the paper indicates the use of malachite green, or any other low priced artificial colour.
Green Vegetables
Green Vegetables
Malachite Green
Malachite Green
Testing Method:
  • Take little amount of green peas in a transparent glass.
  • Add water to it and mix well.
  • Let it stand for half an hour.
  • Clear separation of colour in water indicates adulteration.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take a cotton ball soaked in water or vegetable oil. (conduct the test separately).
  • Rub the outer red surface of the sweet potato.
  • If cotton absorbs colour, then it indicates the usage of rhodamine B for colouring the outer surface of sweet potato.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated

Beverages

Testing Method:
  • Add ½ teaspoon of coffee powder in a transparent glass of water.
  • Stir for a minute and keep it aside for 5 minutes. Observe the glass at the bottom.
  • Pure coffee powder will not leave any clay particles at the bottom.
  • If coffee powder is adulterated, clay particles will settle at the bottom.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
Testing Method:
  • Take a transparent glass of water.
  • Add a teaspoon of coffee powder.
  • Coffee powder floats over the water but chicory begins to sink.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
  • Take a filter paper and spread few tea leaves.
  • Sprinkle with water to wet the filter paper.
  • Wash the filter paper under tap water and observe the stains against light.
  • Pure tea leaves will not stain the filter paper.
  • If coal tar is present, it will immediately stain the filter paper.
  • Take small amount of tea leaves/ dust and place it in the centre of a filter paper.
  • Add water drop by drop at the heap of the tea leaves/ dust.
  • If the tea is adulterated with a coloured tea, water will dissolve the added colour and leave streak of colour in the filter paper.
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated
  • Spread a little slaked lime on white porcelain tile or glass plate.
  • Sprinkle a little tea dust on the lime.
  • Red, orange or other shades of colour spreading on the lime will show the presence of coal tar colour.
  • In case of genuine tea, there will be only a slight greenish yellow colour due to chlorophyll, which will appear after some time.
Testing Method:
  • Take small quantity of tea leaves in a glass plate.
  • Move the magnet through the tea leaves.
  • Pure tea leaves will not show any iron filings on the magnet.
  • If adulterated, then iron filings will be seen on the magnet..
Pure
Pure
Adulterated
Adulterated

Sensory evaluation quick tests

Adulterant : Synthetic Milk

Methods:
  • Synthetic milk gives bitter after taste.
  • If adulterated, it gives a soapy feeling on rubbing between the fingers.

Adulterant : Coated with mineral oil

Methods:
  • Black pepper coated with mineral oil gives kerosene like smell.

Adulterant : Brick powder, salt powder or talc. powder

Methods:
  • Take teaspoon of chilli powder in a glass of water and examine the residue.
  • When the residue is rubbed & if any grittiness is felt it indicates the presence of brick powder/sand.
  • When the white residue is rubbed, soapy and smooth feel indicates the presence of soap stone.

Adulterant : Volatile oil extracted cloves (exhausted cloves)

Methods:
  • Exhausted cloves can be identified by its small size and shrunken appearance.
  • The characteristic pungency of genuine cloves is less pronounced in exhausted cloves.

Adulterant : Urea

Methods:
  • Rub little sugar on palm and smell. If adulterated with urea, it will smell of ammonia.
  • Dissolve a small amount of sugar in water.
  • If adulterated, urea in sugar gives a smell of ammonia.

Adulterant : Kernel Bunt

Methods:
  • Separate out the non-characteristic grains and examine.
  • Kernel bunt has a dull appearance, blackish in colour and rotten fish smell.

Adulterant : Resultant atta/ Maida

Methods:
  • When dough is prepared from resultant atta, less water is needed.
  • The normal taste of chapati prepared out of atta is somewhat sweetish whereas those prepared out of adulterated will taste insipid (tasteless).

Adulterant : Sand or talcum

Methods:
  • Put a little quantity of sago in mouth.
  • If adulterated, it will have a gritty feel.

Adulterant : Common salt

Methods:
  • Taste for addition of common salt.
  • If present, it will taste salty.

Adulterant : Artificial Sweetener

Methods:
  • Taste small quantity of sample.
  • Artificial sweetener leaves a lingering sweetness on tongue for a considerable time and leaves a bitter after taste.
  • (Note: This method is applicable if artificial sweetener is used in addition to sugar)

Get in touch

Phone

011-232-37417

Email

labs@fssai.gov.in

Address

FDA Bhawan near Bal Bhavan,
Kotla Road, New Delhi - 110002 India.

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