FOOD

ADULTERATION

-NITISH KUMAR BOORA

 The Food adulteration is no doubt
greatly responsible for the health
problems in the public sector.
 In this project I have explained all
the details about food adulteration -
advantages and disadvantages.
 And I would like to thank my
principle , teachers and staff of sri
chaitanya college for giving me this
opportunity.
S.NO TOPIC

1. ADULTERATION-DEFINITION

2. USE OF ADULTERATION

3. TYPES OF ADULTERAION

4. METHODS OF ADULTERATIONS

5. DISADVANTAGES OF ADVANTAGES

6. HEALTH EFFECTS OF ADULTERATION

7. STEPS AGAINST ADULTERATION

8. BIBILIOGRAPHY
 An adulterant is a pejorative term for a
substance found within other substances such
as food, fuels or chemicals even though it is
not allowed for legal or other reasons.
 The addition of adulterants is
called adulteration.
 The most common reason for adulteration is
the use by manufacturers of undeclared
materials that are cheaper than the correct
and declared ones. The adulterants may be
harmful, or reduce the potency of the
product, or they may be harmless.
 The term "contamination" is usually used for
the inclusion of unwanted substances due to
accident or negligence rather than intent,
and also for the introduction of unwanted
substances after the product has been made.
 Adulteration therefore implies that the
adulterant was introduced deliberately in the
initial manufacturing process, or sometimes
that it was present in the raw materials and
should have been removed.
 For example; chicory may be added
to coffee to reduce the cost or achieve a
desired taste, Chalk was often added
to bread flour; this reduces the cost and
increases whiteness.
 Increased Urbanization: To make maximum
profit from food items by fewer investments
 High population demands: Increased food
demand of the population and its changing
trends.
 Fresh vegetables and fruits, the main part of
our meal is adulterated by the self applied
fertilizers and pesticides by the farmers to
increase the production and to avoid the
attacks of insects and diseases.
 Wax coating/ dipping in chemical water like
copper sulphate (CuSO4) is used for increasing
the marketing by making them attractive and
fresh looking.
 Nowadays, vegetables producing fields are
irrigated with sewerage water which included
detergents, human feces, factory wastes
having high concentrations of toxic heavy
metals i.e. lead and arsenic which can cause
damage to liver, kidney and cancer
 Screen is used as sweetening agent in many
confectionary products, instead of sucrose,
which is harmful for health
There are three kinds of adulteration namely,
 Intentional adulteration:

The adulterants are added as a

deliberate act with intention to increase
profit.
Ex; sand, marble chips, stones, chalk
powder, etc.
 Incidental Adulteration:

Adulterants are found in food due to

negligence, ignorance or lack of proper
facilities.
Ex; Packaging hazards like larvae of
insects, droppings, pesticide residues, etc.
 Metallic adulteration:

When the metallic substances are

added intentionally or accidentally.
Ex; arsenic, pesticides, lead from water,
mercury from effluents, tins from cans, etc
 Mixing:
Mixing of clay, stones, pebbles, sand, marble
chips etc.
 Substitution:
Cheaper and inferior substances being replaced
wholly or partially with good ones.
 Concealing quality:
Trying to hide the food standard. Ex; adding
captions of qualitative food to low quality for
selling.
 Decomposed food:
Mainly in fruits and vegetables. The
decomposed ones are mixed with good ones
 Misbranding/ False labels:
Includes duplicate food stuffs, changing of
manufacture and expiry dates.
 Addition of toxicants:
Adding non-edible substances like argemone in
mustard oil, low quality preservatives, colouring
agents, etc.
 Mineral oil if added to edible oil and fats can
cause cancers.
 Lead chromate when added to turmeric powder
and spices can cause anemia, paralysis, brain
damage and abortions.
 Lead added to water, natural and processed food
can lead to lead poisoning, foot drop, insomnia,
constipation, anemia, and mental retardation.
 Cobalt added to water and liquors and can cause
cardiac damage also copper, tin, and zinc can
cause colic, vomiting and diarrhea.
 Mercury in mercury fungicide treated grains, or
mercury-contaminated fish can cause brain
damage, paralysis, and death.
 Non-permitted color or permitted food color like
metal yellow, beyond the safe limit in colored
food can cause allergies, hyperactivity, liver
damage, infertility, anemia, cancer and birth
defects.
HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO
ADULTERATION:
S.NO ADULTERANT FOODS DISEASES OR
COMMONLY HEALTH EFFECTS
INVOLVED

1. Argemone seeds, Mustard seeds, Glaucoma,

argemone oil edible oil and epidemic dropsy
fats and cardiac arrest

2. Artificially As a substitute Injurious to skin

colored foreign for cumin seeds, and body
seeds poppy seed,
black pepper
3. Mineral oil(white Edible oil and Cancer
oil, petroleum fats , black
fractions) pepper

4. Lead chromate Turmeric whole Anemia , paralysis

and powdered, and brain damage
mixed spices

5. Bacillus cereus Cereal products, Food

custards, infection(nausea,
puddings , sauces vomiting,
abdominal pain)
6. Salmonella spp. Meat products , Salmonellosis (
vegetables , food infections
salads, shell fish, with chills and
eggs fever)
7. Mercury Grains , fish Brain damage ,
paralysis
 In India Prevention of Food Adulteration
Programme has been developed to ensure safe
food for the consumers. The Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare in India ensures that
consumers get safe food. The legislation called
"Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954"
was drafted for this purpose.
 The aim of this legislation is to ensure that
consumers get pure and wholesome and also
prevent fraud or deception. The initial legislation
had loopholes and hence the Act has been
amended three times in 1964, 1976 and in 1986.
 The punishments have been made more
stringent and Consumers and Voluntary
Organizations have been empowered to play a
more effective role in its implementation. The
PFA Act is in the list of the constitution but it is
enforced by the State/U.T Governments. The
major role of Central Government is as an
advisory in its implementation.
 The first law to regulate the quality of food was
made in the country 1899. Up till 1954 the states
made their own food laws and there were
substantial differences in the rules and
specifications of the food. This hindered inter-
provincial trade.
 The Central Government is empowered by the
Constitution of India for making legislations on
Food and Drugs Adulteration. A legislation called
Prevention of Food adulteration Act (PFA) was
endorsed in the year 1954 for making uniformity
in food laws all over India. It came into effect
from 15 June, 1955.
 Prevention of Food Adulteration
Programme: The under PFA Rules have been
amended several times and quality standards for
about 250 food articles which are commonly
consumed in India have been fixed.
Implementation of food standards in
corporation/municipal area rests with the local
Bodies. These bodies employ their own food
inspectors for examination and maintenance of
standards. They are responsible for licensing of
food industries/establishments as well.
 For this project I had to collect
information about food adulteration
from many books and websites .
 Some of the books which I referred to
are NCERT chemistry, GRB , CENGAGE
and Encyclopedia.
 And some the websites are
Wikipedia.org , Sciencedirect.com,
publichealthnotes.com,
futurelearn.com, foodnetindia.in,
onlymyhealth.com, quora.com.