Chemistry Project

Topic: Study Of Common Food Adulterants

in Fats, Oil, Butter, Sugar, Turmeric Powder,
Chili Powder, and Pepper.

~ Driti S Gowda
 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my special grattitude to

my teacher Mr. Naresh as well as our vice
principle Mr. Ravi Narayan who gave me the
golden opportunity and supported me to do
this wonderful project on the topic Study of
Common Food Adulterants in Fats, Oil,
Butter, Sugar, Turmeric Powder, Chili
Powder, and Pepper. This project also
helped me in doing a lot of research and I
learnt a plethora of things. I am thankful
for everything.

I would also love to thank my friends and

family for their support.
 Index

S.No Content Pg.No

1 Aim 4
2 Introduction 5
3 Theory 6
4 Experiment 1 8
5 Experiment 2 10
6 Experiment 3 11
7 Observation 13
8 Precautions 16
9 Conclusion 17
10 Bibliography 19
 Aim
The main aim of this project is:
Study of Common Food Adulterants in
Fats, Oil, Butter, Sugar, Turmeric Powder,
Chili Powder, and Pepper.
 Introduction
Food is one of basic the necessities of life. Food contains
nutrients substances essential for the growth, repair, and
maintenance of body tissues and for the regulation of vital
processes. Nutrients provide the energy our bodies need to
function.
We all eat food and gain energy for different metabolic
activities. All living organisms need food for growth, work,
repair and maintaining life processes. There are different
types of food available in the market. Daily we all depend on
various food sources including vegetables, fruits, cereals,
legumes, pulses etc.
Adulteration in food is normally present in its most crude
form; prohibited substances are either added or partly or
wholly substituted. Normally the contamination/adulteration
in food is done either for financial gain or due to carelessness
and lack in proper hygienic condition of processing, storing,
transportation and marketing. This ultimately results that the
consumer is either cheated or often become victim of
diseases. Such types of adulteration are quite common in
developing countries or backward countries. It is equally
important for the consumer to know the common
adulterants and their effect on health.
 Theory
We are very fortunate to be born 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
toimport food grains, oil etc. from other countries. This
shortage 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 their families from this mind-boggling problem.
 Common food
Adulterants
Food items Adulterants
Desi ghee and Vanaspati ghee
butter
Vegetable ghee Paraffin wax

Mustard oil Argemone oil

sugar Chalk powder,

washing powder
Chilli Red lead , brick
powder
Turmeric powder Yellow salts of lead,
yellow chalk
powder
 Experiment 1
Aim:
To detect the presence of adulterants in fat, oil and
butter.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
Test-tube, 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:
(i) 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 hydrocarbons.

(ii) Adulteration of dyes in fat Heat 1mL of fat

with a mixture of 1mL of conc. sulphuric acid
and 4mL of acetic acid. Appearance of pink or
red colour indicates presence of dye in fat.

(iii) 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.
 Experiment 2
AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in sugar.

APPARATUS REQUIRED:
Test-tubes, dil. HCl.

PROCEDURE:
Sugar is usually contaminated with washing soda and
other insoluble substances which are detected as
follows:
(i)Adulteration of various insoluble substances in sugar
Take small amount of sugar in a test-tube and shake it
with little water. Pure sugar dissolves in water but
insoluble impurities do not dissolve.

(ii) Adulteration of chalk powder, washing soda in sugar.

To small amount of sugar in a test-tube, add few drops
of HCl. Brisk effervescence of CO2 shows the presence
of chalk powder or washing soda in the given sample of
sugar.
 Experiment 3
AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in samples of
chilli powder, turmeric powder and pepper.

APPARATUS REQUIRED:
Test-tubes, conc. HCl, dil. HNO3, KI solution.

PROCEDURE:
Common adulterants present in chilli powder, turmeric
powder and pepper are red coloured lead salts, yellow
lead salts and dried papaya seeds respectively. They are
detected as follows:
(i) Adulteration of red lead salts in chilli powder
to a sample of chilli powder, add dil. HNO3.
Filter the dil. solution and add 2 drops of
potassium iodide solution to the filtrate.
Yellow ppt. indicates the presence of lead salts
in chilli powder.
(ii) Adulteration of yellow lead salts to turmeric
powder To a sample of turmeric powder add
conc. HCl. Appearance of magenta colour
 shows the presence of yellow oxides of lead in
turmeric powder.
(iii) Adulteration of brick powder in red chilli
powder Add small amount of given red chilli
powder in beaker containing water. Brick
powder settles at the bottom while pure chilli
powder floats over water.
(iv) Adulteration of dried papaya seeds in pepper
Add small amount of sample of pepper to a
beaker containing water and stir with a glass
rod. Dried papaya seeds being lighter float
over water while pure pepper settles at the
bottom.
 Observation
Exp no. experiment procedure observation
1. Adulteration of Heat small Appearanc
paraffin wax and amount of e of oil
hydrocarbon in vegetable ghee floating on
vegetable ghee. with acetic the surface.
anhydride.
Droplets of oil
floating on the
surface of
unused acetic
anhydride
indicate the
presence of
wax or
hydrocarbon.
2. Adulteration of Heat 1mL of fat Appearanc
dyes in fat with a mixture e of pink
of 1mL of conc. colour.
H2SO4 and
4mL of acetic
acid.
3. Adulteration of To small No red colour
argemone oil in amount of oil observed
edible oils in a test tube,
add few drops
of conc. HNO3
& shake.
4. Adulteration of Take small Pure sugar
various insoluble amount of dissolves in
substances in sugar in a test water but
sugar tube and insoluble
shake it with impurities do
little water. not dissolve.
5. Adulteration of To small No brisk
chalk powder, amount of effervescence
washing soda in sugar in a test observed.
sugar tube, add a
few drops of
dil.hcl
6. Adulteration of To sample of Appearance
yellow lead salts turmeric of magenta
to turmeric powder, add colour
powder conc. HCl.
7. Adulteration of To a sample of No yellow
red lead salts in chilli powder, precipitate.
chilli powder. add dil. HNO3.
Filter the
solution and
add 2 drops of
KI solution to
the filtrate.
8. Adulteration of Add small Brick
brick powder in amount of powder
chilli powder given red chilli settles at
powder in a the bottom
beaker while pure
containing chilli
water powder
floats over
water.
9. Adulteration of Add small Dried
dried papaya amount of papaya
seeds in pepper sample of seeds being
pepper to lighter float
beaker over water
containing while pure
water and stir pepper
with a glass settles at
rod. the bottom.
 Precautions
By taking a few precautions, we can escape from
consuming adulterated products.
1. Take only packed items of a well-known
company
2. Buy items from reliable shops and outlets.
3. Check the ISI mark or Agmark.
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 buys sweets or snacks kept in open.
7. Avoid buying things from street side vendors.
 Conclusion
Selection of wholesome and non-adulterated food
is essential for daily life to make sure that such
foods do not cause any health hazard.
However, visual examination of the food before
purchase makes sure to ensure absence of insects,
visual fungus, foreign matters, etc.
Therefore, due care taken by the consumer at the
time of purchase of food after thoroughly
examining can be of great help.
Secondly, label declaration on packed food is very
important for knowing the ingredients and
nutritional value.
The consumer should avoid taking food from an
unhygienic place and food being prepared under
unhygienic conditions.
Such types of food may cause various diseases.
Consumption of cut fruits being sold in unhygienic
conditions should be avoided.
 Bibliography
1. Websites:
• www.wikipedia.org
• www.google.com
• www.yahoo.com

2. BOOKS:
• Practical Manual
• NCERT Class XII