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AYURLINE e-ISSN: 2456-4435

October-2020 | Vol. 04 th| Issue:5th
IJ–RIM
International Journal of Research in Indian Medicine

Review on adulteration of food and its effect on health

Suryabhan Dongre*1, Vidhyashree Thorat2, Sukhada Gawde3,

1. Associate Professor, Dept. of Agadtantra, Ayurved College, Sion, Mumbai

2. Assistant Professor, Dept. of Agadtantra, Ayurved College, Sion, Mumbai
3. Assistant Professor, Dept. of Agadtantra, B. S. Ayurved College, Sawantwadi.

*Corresponding author: Mob.No.9987524463 Email: sssdongre@gmail.com

ABSTRACT – demanding information on the source

and reassurance of the origin and details
Adulteration is a legal term on reprocessed food. So Every consumer
meaning that a food product fails to meet first should try to prevent themselves
the legal standards. One form of from these adulteration to have healthy
adulteration is an addition of another life.
substance to a food item in order to
increase the quantity of the food item in KEYWORDS: Adulterant, Food
raw form or prepared form, which may additive, FDA, Argemone oil, Dangerous
result in the loss of actual quality of food health effects,
item. That means Food adulteration is an
act of adding or mixing of poor quality, INTRODUCTION –
inferior, harmful, substandard, useless or Food is essential for sustenance of
unnecessary substances to foods. These life. We all eat food and gain energy for
substances may be either available food different metabolic activities. All living
items or non-food items. Among meat organisms need food for growth, work,
and meat products some of the items repair, and maintaining life processes.
used to adulterate are water or ice, There are different types of food available
carcasses, or carcasses of animals other today in the market, and on a daily basis,
than the animal meant to be consumed. we all depend on various food sources,
This act of spoiling the nature and including vegetables, fruits, cereals,
quality of food items is considered food pulses, legumes, etc. As we buy fresh
adulteration. Despite various measures veggies and other groceries, we might
and penalties, the problem continues to have come across the small pebbles in
remain a big challenge for the country. cereals and grains, darkly stained
Consumers around the country are vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, fruits,
increasingly more stringent laws besides

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dark red meat, and a lot more. Adulteration  Increased food demand for a
or contamination of natural food products rapidly growing population.
is one of the major challenges in today’s  To make maximum profit from
society. Despite various actions and food items by fewer investments.
penalties, the practice of adding adulterant
is quite common in developing countries. Adulteration is an illegal practice of
There are various methods used for adding raw and other cheaper ingredients
adulterating the natural products. Food to the excellent quality products to
Adulteration can be defined as the practice increase the quantity. Having this
of adulterating food or contamination of adulterated food is highly toxic and leads
food materials by adding few substances to several health issues, including certain
which are collectively called the nutrition deficiency diseases, kidney
adulterants.1 Adulterants are the substance disorders, and failure of an individual’s
or poor quality products added to food organ systems, including heart, kidney,
items for economic and technical benefits. and liver.2
Addition of these adulterants reduces the AIM AND OBJECTIVES –
value of nutrients in food and also
contaminates the food, which is not fit for To study the adulteration of food
consumption. These adulterants can be and its effects on health
available in all food products which we
consume daily, including dairy products, Material and Methods:
cereals, pulses, grains, meat, vegetables, Review of Classical Text of Ayurveda as
fruits, oils, beverages etc. The process of well as Allopathic Medicines and Recent
contaminating food or adding to the food studies available on various concern
components is a common phenomenon in websites.
developing countries.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE -
For instance: Milk can be diluted by
adding water to increase its quantity and How did adulteration initiate? –
starch powder is often added to increase
its solid content. Adulteration of food is a very
serious anti-social act as it poses a major
Main reasons for adulterating food health hazard. Lack of awareness among
products are : people, corrupt officials, even the police
sometimes, is the reason why spurious
 Practised as a part of the business food products continue to hit the shelf.3
strategy. Normally the contamination/adulteration
 An imitation of some other food in food is done either for financial gain
substance. or due to carelessness and lack in proper
 Lack of knowledge of proper food hygienic condition of processing, storing,
consumption. transportation and marketing. This
ultimately results that the consumer is
 To increase the quantity of food
either cheated or often become victim of
production and sales.
diseases. Such types of adulteration are

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quite common in developing countries or render the contents injurious to

backward countries. It is equally health; or
important for the consumer to know the 4. It bears or contains a pesticide
common adulterants and their effect on chemical residue that is unsafe.
health. The increasing number of food (Note: The Environmental Protection
producers and the outstanding amount of Agency [EPA] establishes tolerances
import foodstuffs enables the producers for pesticide residues in foods, which
to mislead and cheat consumers. To are enforced by the FDA) 4
differentiate those who take advantage of 5. It is, or it bears or contains, an unsafe
legal rules from the ones who commit food additive;
food adulteration is very difficult. The 6. It is, or it bears or contains, an unsafe
consciousness of consumers would be new animal drug;
crucial. Ignorance and unfair market 7. It is, or it bears or contains, an unsafe
behavior may endanger consumer health color additive
and misleading can lead to poisoning. 8. It consists, in whole or in part, of
Every consumer wants to get maximum "any filthy, putrid, or decomposed
quantity of a commodity for as low a substance" or is otherwise unfit for
price as possible. This attitude of the food; or
consumer being coupled with the 9. It has been prepared, packed, or held
intention of the traders to increase the under unsanitary conditions (insect,
margin of profit, where the quality of the rodent, or bird infestation) whereby it
commodity gets reduced through may have become contaminated with
addition of a baser substance and / or filth or rendered injurious to health.
removal of vital elements also commonly 10. It has been irradiated and the
known as food adulteration. irradiation processing was not done
in conformity with a regulation
Basic criteria for determination of permitting irradiation of the food in
adultration – question (Note: FDA has approved
1. If the food bears or contains any irradiation of a number of foods,
"poisonous or deleterious substance" including refrigerated or frozen
which may render it injurious to uncooked meat, fresh or frozen
health; uncooked poultry, and seeds for
2. It bears or contains any added sprouting .
poisonous or added deleterious 11. It contains a dietary ingredient that
substance (other than a pesticide presents a significant or unreasonable
residue, food additive, color additive, risk of illness or injury under the
or new animal drug, which are conditions of use recommended in
covered by separate provisions) that labeling (for example, foods or
is unsafe; dietary supplements containing
3. Its container is composed, in whole aristolochic acids, which have been
or in part, of any poisonous or linked to kidney failure, have been
deleterious substance which may banned.);
12. A valuable constituent has been
omitted in whole or in part or

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replaced with another substance; severe poisoning is not common

damage or inferiority has been nowadays.6
concealed in any manner; or a
substance has been added to increase Some common examples of
the product's bulk or weight, reduce adulteration –
its quality or strength, or make it
appear of greater value than it is (this  Majority of fats, oils and butter
is "economic adulteration"); or are paraffin wax, castor oil and
13. It is offered for import into the hydrocarbons.
United States and is a food that has  Red chilli powder is mixed with
previously been refused admission, brick powder and pepper is mixed
unless the person reoffering the food with dried papaya seeds.
establishes that it is in compliance
 Common adulterants present in
with U.S. law
ghee and oil are paraffin wax,
The Federal Food, Drug,
hydrocarbons, dyes and argemone
and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act (1938)
oil .
provides that food is "adulterated" if
 Coal-tar colours are employed a
it meets any one of these criteria. The
great deal, pickles and canned
Federal Meat Inspection Act and the
vegetables are sometimes
Poultry Products Inspection Act
coloured green with copper salts;
contain similar provisions for meat
butter is made more yellow by
and poultry products.5
anatta.
Economic Adulteration –  Turmeric is used in mustard and
some cereal preparations.
A food is adulterated if it omits a  Apples are the basis for many
valuable constituent or substitutes jellies, which are coloured so as
another substance, in whole or in part, to simulate finer ones.
for a valuable constituent (for instance,  In confectionery, dangerous
olive oil diluted with tea tree oil); colours, such as chrome yellow,
conceals damage or inferiority in any
prussian blue, copper and arsenic
manner (such as fresh fruit with food compounds are employed.
coloring on its surface to conceal
 Yellow and orange-coloured
defects); or any substance has been
sweets are to be suspected.
added to it or packed with it to increase
 Artificial flavouring compounds
its bulk or weight, reduce its quality or
are employed in the concoction of
strength, or make it appear bigger or of
fruit syrups, especially those used
greater value than it is (for example,
for soda water.
scallops to which water has been added
 Milk is adulterated with water,
to make them heavier).
and indirectly by removing the
Various metallic poisons formerly cream.
occurred in food stuffs as dyes,  The addition of water may
preservatives or colouring matter. Such introduce disease germs.

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 Cream is adulterated with gelatin, turmeric, injectable dyes in

and formaldehyde is employed as watermelon, peas, capsicum,
a preservative for it. brinjal, papaya seeds in black
 Butter is adulterated to an pepper etc.
enormous extent with
oleomargarine, a product of beef
Injurious Adulterants/ contaminants
fat.
in foods and their health effects –
 Brick dust in chilli powder,
coloured chalk powder in

Adulterant Foods commonly involved Diseases or health effects

Foreign leaves or Tea Injurious to health, cancer
exhausted tea leaves,
saw dust artificially
coloured
TCP Oils Paralysis
Sand, marble chips, Food grains, pulses etc Damage digestive tract
stones,filth
Mineral oil (white Edible oils and fats, Cancer
oil, petroleum Black pepper
fractions)
Lead chromate Turmeric whole and Anemia, abortion, paralysis, brain
powdered,mixed spices damage

Arsenic Fruits such as apples Dizziness, chills, cramps, paralysis,

sprayed over with lead death, wrist drop
arsenate
Mercury Mercury fungicide treated Brain damage, paralysis, death
seed grains or mercury
contaminated fish
Flouride Drinking water, sea foods, Excess fluoride causes fluorosis
tea, etc. (mottling of teeth, skeletal and
neurological disorders)
Pesticide residues All types of food Acute or chronic poisoning with
(beyond safe limit) damage to nerves and vital organs
like liver, kidney, etc.
Antibiotics (beyond Meats from antibiotic-fed Multiple drug resistance hardening
safe limit) animals of arteries, heart disease
Oxalic acid Spinach, amaranth, etc. Renal calculi, cramps, failure of
blood to clot

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Enforcement Actions against adulterated food and to impose

adulterated food – civil fines.
 Federal agencies often will
coordinate with state or local
 If a food is adulterated, FDA and authorities to remove unsafe food
FSIS have a broad array of from the market as quickly as
enforcement tools. possible.
 These include seizing and  Several agencies have been set up
condemning the product detaining by the Government of India to
imported product, enjoining remove adulterants from food
persons from manufacturing or stuffs.
distributing the product, or 
AGMARK – acronym for
requesting a recall of the product. agricultural marketing….this
 Enforcement action is usually organization certifies food
preceded by a Warning Letter products for their quality. 8
from FDA to the manufacturer or  Its objective is to promote the
distributor of the adulterated Grading and Standardization of
product. agricultural and allied
 In the case of an adulterated meat commodities.
or poultry product, FSIS has  Selection of wholesome and non-
certain additional powers. FSIS adulterated food is essential for
may suspend or withdraw federal daily life to make sure that such
inspection of an official foods do not cause any health
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establishment. hazard.
 Without federal inspection, an  It is not possible to ensure
establishment may not produce or wholesome food only on visual
process meat or poultry products, examination when the toxic
and therefore must cease contaminants are present in ppm
operations. level. However, visual
 With the exception of infant examination of the food before
formula, neither FDA nor FSIS purchase makes sure to ensure
has the authority to require a absence of insects, visual fungus,
company to recall an adulterated foreign matters, etc.
food product. However, the  Therefore, due care taken by the
ability to generate negative consumer at the time of purchase
publicity gives them considerable of food after thoroughly
powers of persuasion. examining can be of great help.
 State regulators generally have  Secondly, label declaration on
similar enforcement tools at their packed food is very important for
disposal to prevent the knowing the ingredients and
manufacture and distribution of nutritional value. It also helps in
adulterated food. checking the freshness of the food
 In addition, many states have the and the period of best before use
authority to immediately embargo

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DISCUSSION – extra amount to safe guard your

health.
Food adulteration is a very old and  If you have purchased any
common problem, which is often seen in branded item and doubt its
both the low- and middle-income countries quality, you can at least approach
and sometimes even in some developed the company concerned.
countries. The problem level is greater in  Complain to Prevention of Food
low-economic zone like Bangladesh, Adulteration Department in your
Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and African city / town / district and report to
countries. Consumers are helpless in front the newspapers and make more
of unlawful acts of some unscrupulous and more people aware to take
importers, producers, wholesaler, or joint action.
retailers, simply to increase profits with  Always remember to preserve
less capital and equipment. Hazardous your grocery bills so that the
chemicals such as calcium company can take necessary steps
carbide, Sodium cyclamate, cyanide, and regarding the complaint.
formalin are widely used for ripening  If any person manufactures for
green tropical fruits, to keep them fresh, sale, stores, sell imports or
and for preserving until sale 9. Low-cost distributes any article of food
textile dyes are used in coloring which is adulterated or
vegetables, fruits, popular sweetmeats, soft misbranded, he is liable under the
drinks, beverages, confectionaries to draw PFA Act to be punished with
customers’ attention. Fishmongers are imprisonment and fined.
preserving fish with formalin to keep the  If you find that any food is
body solid to cover up internal adulterated, then do not keep
decomposition. Intake of such types of silent.
chemically treated food may cause  Avoid dark coloured, junk and
complex diseases and has direct other processed foods.
consequences such as liver and kidney  Make sure to clean and store all
failure, autism, metabolic dysfunctions, the grains, pulses and other food
and cancer.10 products.
 Wash fruits and vegetables
What can we do for preventing thoroughly in running water
ourselves from the illeffects due to before it is used.
adulterated food? –  Check the seal is valid or not,
before buying the food products
 Food Adulteration occur in rural like milk, oil, and other pouches.
as well as urban areas. So the first  Always make sure to check and
option is to buy branded and ISI- buy products having an FSSAI-
marked products. validated label, along with
 Even if these branded items cost a the license number, list of
little extra, it is worth paying the ingredients, manufactured date,
and its expiration.

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According to the National Health REFERENCES -

Service and Food Research Institute,
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adulterated to increase the quantity Jurisprudence, Forensic Medicine
and make more profit. This practice and Toxicology, Dr. C.K.Parikh,
of adding adulterants to food 6th edition, 2004, Section IX, 9.55
products are quite common in all in 2. https://byjus.com/biology/food-
developing countries and other adulteration/
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Protecting the health of the consumer 7. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/po
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issues facing the food industry. So, the country/india
food industry and manufacturers must 8. https://foodregulatory.fssai.gov.in
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consumer should always be careful while Prothom Alo, 2005
selecting food items so that we can 10. Hossain et al., 2008; Billah, 2007
prevent our health from ill effects of
food adulterants.

Conflict of Interest: Non Source of funding: Nil

Cite this article:
"Review on adulteration of food and its effect on health."
Suryabhan Dongre, Vidhyashree Thorat, Sukhada Gawde,
Ayurline: International Journal of Research In Indian Medicine 2020;4(5): 01- 08

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