Detection of Food Adulterants in Chilli, Turmeric and Coriander Powders by Physical and Chemical Methods

 

Sourish Sen, Partha Sarathi Mohanty, Suneetha V

School of Biosciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India-632014

 

ABSTRACT:

This study on “detection of food adulterants in chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder using physical and chemical methods.” Was conceived and carried out with the objective of identifying the presence of adulteration in chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder (the major spices used for cooking in India). Various samples of the above mentioned spices were collected from Vellore .Both branded and unbranded samples were selected for the study to determine the adulteration levels and the qualitative difference between them. The tests were carried out by chemical analysis in a majority of products and through visual inspection in few of the products. After the tests, the products containing adulterants were identified in branded and unbranded food products. This study is attempted to bring in awareness to the public on the important subject of food adulteration and various simple methods available to detect food adulteration.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Food is one of the basic necessities of life. Any individual spends a lot of money on food.^[4] But at the end of the day he finds that he is eating dyes, stones, brick, dung and other contaminate matter. The act of intentionally debasing the quality of food offered for sale either by the admixture or substitution by inferior substances or by the removal of some valuable ingredient is known as adulteration.^[1][3] . Adulteration in foods decrease our moral and social value. According to Beckman a leading food researcher, in our daily life there are so many unhygienic and contaminated things which are harmful to our health. When these things enter our body (in the form of adulterants) through the food we eat, many harmful diseases like Cancer are caused. Some diseases caused by adulterants in the spices we dealt with in this project are listed in table-1.Our study shows that almost all the samples we collected from Vellore local market contain some adulteration.^[2][3]

 

Accepted on 15.06.2017        © RJPT All right reserved

 

Preparation of chilli powder

 

Figure 1.1

Preparation of turmeric powder-

 

Figure 1.2

 

Preparation of coriander powder:

Figure 1.3

 

Table-1 Disorders caused due to adultered chilli, turmeric and coriander

Spices	Adulterant	Disease/disorder
A. Chilli powder	Brick	Stomach disorder
	Lead soluble salts	Metal toxicity, Cancer, Lead poisoning
	Rodamine B	Cancer
	Oil soluble tar	Heart disease, damage to liver, tumor
B. Turmeric Powder	Aniline dye	Cancer
	Yellow lead salts	Cancer
	Metanil Yellow	Cancer, toxicity
	Chalk	Indigestion
	Tapioca starch	Stomach disorder
C. Coriander powder	Common salt	High blood pressure
	Dung	Stomach problem

 

METHODOLOGY:

The methods adopted for detection of adulterants are given below-

8 random samples are collected and the following methods are referred to check adulteration

 

CHILLI POWDER:

a. To detect the presence of red lead salts:

Dilute nitric acid is added to the sample of chilli powder. The solution is filtered. Next 2 drops of Potassium Iodide is added to the filtrate. Formation of yellow coloured precipitate indicates the presence of red lead salts.

 

b. To detect the presence of oil soluble coal tar:

2 g of chilli powder is taken in a test tube. Few ml of ether solvent is added and the test tube is shaken well. Ether layer is decanted into a test tube containing 2 ml of dilute Hydrochloric acid. It is shaken properly.^[1]Distinct pink to red colour of the lower acid layer will indicate the presence of oil soluble coal tar.

 

c. To detect the presence of brick powder:

Chilli powder is added in a beaker containing water. Brick powder settles down while pure chilli powder floats. ^[1]

 

d. To detect the presence of Rodamine B:

2 g of chilli powder is taken in a test tube.5 ml of acetone is added. Immediate red colouration indicates the presence of Rodamine B.

 

Figure 2

 

TURMERIC POWDER:

a. To detect the presence of yellow lead salts

2 g of turmeric powder is taken in a test tube. Conc. Hydrochloric acid is added to it. Magenta colouration indicates presence of yellow oxides of lead.

 

b. To detect the presence of chalk:

2 g of turmeric powder is taken in a test tube. Few drops of water and then few drops of Hydrochloric acid is added to it. Effervescence will indicate the presence of chalk.

 

c. To detect the presence of Metanil yellow:

A sample of turmeric powder is taken. To it 13N sulphuric acid is added. Disappearance of red colour on adding distilled water indicates the presence of metanil yellow.^[1]

 

d. To detect the presence of aniline dyes:

To a sample of turmeric powder few drops of water is added. To it 5 ml of   spirit is added. Immediate disappearance of yellow colour indicates the presence of aniline dye.

 

e. To detect the presence of starch of maize, wheat and rice    

Microscopic view reveals that pure turmeric is yellow in colour and bigger in size.

 

Figure 3

 

CORIANDER POWDER:

a. To detect the presence of dung powder:

Soak a sample of coriander powder in water. Dung/sawdust will float and can easily be detected by its foul smell.

 

b. To detect the presence of common salt:

A sample of coriander powder is taken. To it 5 ml of water is added. Next few drops of silver nitrate is added to it. White precipitate confirms presence of salt.

 

Figure 4

 

STREAKING OF CULTURE MEDIA:

Chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder samples are taken. All the three spices belong to the same brand. After media preparation and its solidification streaking is done.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

CHILLI POWDER:

1     Samples- 1,5 and 7 do not contain  lead .

2.    All the samples contain brick powder. Among them sample -6 has maximum amount of brick powder.

3.    The 3^rd sample contains oil soluble tar.

4.    Samples-8,2,5 and 1 contain no rodamine b.

 

Figure 5

 

Figure 6

 

Figure 7

 

TURMERIC POWDER:

1     Sampe-1 contains yellow lead salts

2     Sample -1 contains chalk as adulterant

3     5^th sample contains metanil yellow as adulterant

4     None of the samples contain aniline dyes

 

Figure 8

 

Figure 9

 

Figure 10

 

CORIANDER POWDER:

1. Dung is present as an adulterant only in the first sample.

 

After 24 hrs. pf incubation, growth of bacterial colonies is observed  in cultures containing chilli and coriander powder.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

All the authors express their heartiest gratitude to Dr. G Viswanathan, honorable Chancellor, VIT University for his encouragement, support and for providing good lab facilities to carry out this research work.

 

CONCLUSION:

Adulterated food not only consists of the physical adulterated particles other than food, but it also hosts pathogens which can cause harmful diseases. Adulterated food causes both physical and mental disorders along with malnutrition. Hence we must avoid eating such food. Also the government needs to take necessary actions against the companies and individuals who for the sake of their own profit are manufacturing and selling adulterated products to consumers.

 

REFERENCES:

1.       Abhirami S. and R. Radha; Detection of food adulteration in selected food items procured by homemaker; International Journal of Recent Scientific Research. 6, , 8,.5; 2015:5938-5943

2.       F. Tateoandm. Bononi; fast determination of Sudan I by HPLC/APCI-Ms in hot chilli, spices, and oven-baked foods; Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry;52  (a); 2004:655-658.

3.       Annie S. Living stone Jian, J et al; Development and nutritional quality evaluation of weaning foods based on malted, popped and roller dried wheat and chickpea; International Journal of Food Science and Technology,.28;2007:35–43.

4.       Sonika Sharma, Nikita Goel, Pratibha Paliwal (Bhatele); Evaluation of Adulterants in Food by Different Physico-Chemical Method; International Journal for Scientific Research and Development Vol. 4, Issue 11, 2017:0613-2321

5.       Molan, P. C; Authenticity of honey; Journal of Food and Technology; 1996:.259-303.

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Accepted on 15.09.2017                             © RJPT All right reserved