6

Chapter

Food Quality and

Food Safety

Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter the learner will be able to:
zz explain the importance of various issues related to food safety and
quality
zz understand how food-borne illnesses occur
zz know about national and international food standards and their role
in ensuring food quality and safety
zz understand the importance of food safety management systems
zz be acquainted with various career avenues / options in this area.

Introduction
Food is a major determinant of health, nutritional status and productivity
of the population. It is, therefore, essential that the food we consume is
wholesome and safe. Unsafe food can lead to a large number of food-borne
diseases. You may have seen reports in the newspapers about health
problems caused by contaminated or adulterated foods. Globally, food-
borne illness is a major problem of public health concern. In India, the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in September 2010 stated that
more than 300 million episodes of acute diarrhea occur every year in
115

Chapters.indd 115 07-05-2018 12:12:14

 children less than five years of age. Food-borne illness can not only result
in mortality but can damage trade and tourism, lead to loss of earnings,
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

unemployment and litigation and thus can impede economic growth, and
therefore food safety and quality have gained worldwide significance.

Significance
Food safety and quality are important at the home level, but are critical in
large scale food production and processing, and also where food is freshly
prepared and served. In the past, many foods were processed at home.
Advancement in technology and processing, larger per capita incomes and
better purchasing power as well as increased consumer demand have led
to a variety of products of processed foods, food for health / functional
foods being manufactured. Safety of such foods needs to be assessed.
Quality of food stuff, raw as well as processed is of public health concern
and must be addressed. In the past decade, safety challenges faced globally
as well as in India have changed significantly and issues related to food
quality and food safety have gained tremendous importance. A number of
factors are responsible for this:
zz With fast changing lifestyles and eating habits, more people are eating
outside their homes. In commercial settings, foods are prepared in
bulk handled by many persons, thus there are more chances of food
getting contaminated. Further, food items are prepared many hours
in advance, and may spoil if not stored appropriately.
zz There are many processed and packaged foods. Safety of these foods
is important.
zz Spices and condiments, oilseeds were processed at home in former
times and purity of these were not a concern. In today’s world, pre-
packaged individual spices, condiments, spice powders and mixes
are in demand, especially in cities and metros. Quality of even raw
food stuff besides processed foods is of public health concern and
must be addressed.
zz Logistics governing transport of bulk food is complex and there is a long
gap between processing and consumption. Thus risk assessment and
safety management during mass production and mass distribution is
critical.
zz Microbial adaptations, antibiotic resistance, altered human
susceptibility and international traveling have all contributed to
increasing incidence of food-borne microbial diseases. Nearly half of

116

Chapters.indd 116 07-05-2018 12:12:14

 all known food-borne pathogens have been discovered during the past
25-30 years. There are still many food borne illnesses of unknown
etiology. This is an issue of global public health concern and there
is a need to detect, identify and recognise emerging pathogens and

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

establish active surveillance networks, nationally and internationally.
zz India is a signatory to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) non-tariff
agreement, which has provided greater access to world markets and
opportunities to all countries to enter international trade. In this

And Technology
scenario, it has become essential for every country to protect the
safety and quality of foods and also ensure that imported foods are
of good quality and safe to eat. Effective food standards and control
systems are required to protect food production within the country as
well as to facilitate trade with other nations. All food manufacturers
are required to meet the given standards of quality and safety, and
need to have their products regularly tested.
zz Pollution in atmosphere, soil and water, including use of pesticides in
agriculture, bring their share of contaminants. Also use of additives
such as preservatives, colourants, flavouring agents and other
substances such as stabilisers makes the analysis of food for various
components — both nutrients and contaminants—imperative.
Owing to the above factors, there is a growing concern for safe,
wholesome and nutritious foods in a highly dynamic food business
environment, which in turn has greatly expanded the scope and has
increased career opportunities in this sector. Before learning about the
various career options in this field, it will be worthwhile for us to understand
the basic concepts regarding food quality, food safety, risk assessment,
food standards and quality management systems.

Basic Concepts
Food Safety

Food safety means assurance that food will not cause any harm to the
consumers. An understanding of food safety is improved by defining two
other concepts - toxicity and hazard.
Toxicity is the capacity of a substance to produce harm or injury of any
kind under any conditions. Hazard is the relative probability that harm
or injury will result when substance is not used in a prescribed manner
and quantity. Hazards can be physical, chemical and biological causing
harmful / adverse effects on the health of consumers.
117

Chapters.indd 117 16-02-2018 16:45:49

 Physical hazard is any physical material not normally found in food,
which causes illness or injury and includes wood, stones, parts of pests,
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

hair etc. (Fig. 6.1).

HAIR STONES

BIDIS AND CIGARETTES

Physical
STEMS AND SEEDS

BUTTON
Hazards in
Food
BONE,
FRAGMENTS,
STRINGS, FEATHERS
JUTE
FIBRES

MATCHSTICK
NAILS, NUTS
AND BOLTS JEWELLERY

Fig. 6.1.: Physical hazards in foods

118

Chapters.indd 118 16-02-2018 16:45:50

 INVISIBLE
CHEMICAL

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

HAZARDS IN
PESTICIDES FOOD CLEANING
RESIDUES CHEMICALS

And Technology
VETERINARY ADULTERANTS
RESIDUES

NON-PERMISSIBLE EXCESS OF
FOOD ADDITIVES PERMISSIBLE FOOD
ADDITIVES

Fig. 6.2: Chemical hazards in foods

Chemical hazards are chemicals or deleterious substances which may

be intentionally or un-intentionally added to foods. This category of hazards
includes pesticides, chemical residues, toxic metals, polychlorinated
biphenyls, preservatives, food colours and other additives (Fig. 6.2).
Biological hazards are living organisms and include microbiological
organisms (Fig. 6.3 and 6.4). Those micro-organisms which are associated
with food and cause diseases are termed food-borne pathogens. There are
two types of food-borne diseases from microbial pathogens—infections
and poisoning.

119

Chapters.indd 119 16-02-2018 16:45:50

 Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

WORMS

FLY VISIBLE COCKROACHES

Biological
HAZARDS
in
FOOD

WEEVILS CATERPILLARS

Fig. 6.3.: Visible biological hazards in foods

INVISIBLE
(MICROBIOLOGICAL) HAZARDS
IN FOOD

BACTERIA VIRUSES

YEASTS MOLDS

PROTOZOA

Fig. 6.4.: Invisible/microbiological hazards in foods

120

Chapters.indd 120 16-02-2018 16:45:52

 Food infection /Food Poisoning results from ingestion of live pathogenic
organisms which multiply in the body and cause disease. Salmonella is a
classic example. This organism exists in the intestinal tract of animals.
Raw milk and eggs are also sources. Heat destroys Salmonella, however,
inadequate cooking allows some organisms to survive. Often Salmonella

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

is spread through cross-contamination. This could happen when a cook
cuts raw meat/poultry on a chopping board and without cleaning uses it
for another food which does not involve any cooking, such as salad. Food

And Technology
may become infected by Salmonella if an infected food handler does not
wash hands with soap after using bathroom and before touching food.
Salmonella can reproduce very quickly and double their number every
20 minutes. The symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever
and abdominal cramps.
Food intoxication: Some bacteria produce harmful toxins which are
present in food even if pathogen has been killed. Organisms produce
toxins when the food has not been hot enough or cold enough. Toxins in
food cannot be detected by smell, appearance or taste. Hence foods which
smell and appear good are not necessarily safe. One example of such an
organism is Staphylococcus aureus. Such organisms exist in air, dust,
water. They are also present in the nasal passage, throat and on skin,
hair of 50 per cent of healthy individuals. People who carry this organism,
contaminate food if they touch these places on body while food handling.
Diarrhea is also one of the symptoms of this contamination.
Parasites can also cause infestation, e.g., worm infestation by tape worm
in pork. In addition to this, food can be infested by pests and insects
(Fig. 6.5).

 
Fig. 6.5: Infestation of foods

Among the various hazards, biological hazards are an important

cause of food-borne illnesses. In spite of all the efforts in the area of food
121
safety, microbial food-borne pathogens are still a serious concern and new
pathogens continue to emerge.

Chapters.indd 121 07-05-2018 14:38:44

 Factors that are important in the emergence of pathogens include human
host, animal hosts and their interactions with humans, the pathogen
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

itself, and the environment including how food is produced, processed,

handled and stored. For example, changes in host susceptibility due to
malnutrition, age and other conditions can allow for the emergence of new
infections in vulnerable populations. Genetic exchange or mutations in
the organisms can create new strains with the potential to cause disease.
Exposure to new pathogens through changes in eating habits, climate,
mass production, food processing and increased globalisation of the
food supply can allow pathogens to emerge in new populations or new
geographic areas.
Examples are Norovirus, Rotavirus, hepatitis E contributing to about
70 per cent of cases. New pathogens will continue to evolve and there is
a need to develop methods to isolate them, control them and detect their
presence in foods.
In the context of food safety, it is important to understand the terms
contamination and adulteration.

Contamination : It is the presence of harmful, or objectionable

foreign substances in food such as chemicals, micro-organisms,
dilutants before/during or after processing or storage.
Adulteration: It is intentional or accidental addition of impure or
cheap or unnecessary ingredient(s), to cheat, cheapen or falsify
a preparation, that will alter the properties and composition and
diminish the quality of the food.

Having understood what food safety is, let us discuss food quality.
Food Quality: The term food quality refers to attributes that influence
a product’s value to consumers. This includes both negative attributes
such as spoilage, contamination, adulteration, food safety hazards as well
as positive attributes such as colour, flavour, texture. It is therefore a
holistic concept integrating factors such as nutritional traits, sensorial
properties (colour, texture, shape, appearance, taste, flavour, odour), social
considerations, safety. Safety is a preliminary attribute and precursor of
quality. In order to ensure that foods are safe and of good quality, across
the world various governments and international bodies have laid down
food standards that manufacturers/suppliers are expected to adhere to.
Thus, all food service providers (those involved at all stages of
122 pre-preparation and preparation/processing, packaging and service)

Chapters.indd 122 07-05-2018 14:38:44

 should adhere to good manufacturing practices and ensure food safety.
Salient points to be borne in mind are:
1. Quality of raw materials and water
2. Cleanliness – of the premises, personnel, equipment, food preparation

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

and storage and serving areas
3. Storage of food at appropriate temperature
4. Food hygiene

And Technology
5. Good service practices.

Activity 1
Collect 5 fresh fruits, 5 fresh vegetables and one food preparation
e.g., bread/chapati/roti and list the signs of quality in the given
format. Store them at room temperature for one week, observe the
changes and prepare a chart listing the changes in quality.
Name of Foodstuff / Product

Fresh During storage

Day 2 or 3 Day 7

Appearance
i) Bright / Dull
ii) Shrivelled?
iii) Mouldy?

Texture (Firmness/
softness/soggy)

Colour

Odour

Food Standards

Effective food standards and control systems are required to integrate

quality into every aspect of food production and service, to ensure the
supply of hygienic, wholesome food as well as to facilitate trade within
and between nations. There are four levels of standards which are well
coordinated.
a. Company Standards: These are prepared by a Company for its own
use. Normally, they are copies of National Standards. 123

Chapters.indd 123 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 b. National Standards: These are issued by the national standards body.
c. Regional Standards: Regional groups with similar geographical,
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

climate, etc. have legislation standardisation bodies.

d. International Standards: The International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO) and Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
publish international standards.

Food Standards Regulations in India

The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 (PFA, 1954) was enacted
by the Government of India to prevent adulteration of food. The Act has
been amended as per need, numerous times ( over 200 amendments). All
food products manufactured in India, or imported and sold in India have
to meet the requirements prescribed under this Act. In addition to PFA,
there are other Orders or Acts that help to ensure quality of specific foods
such as :
a. Fruit and Vegetable Product Order: Specifications for fruit and
vegetable products are laid down.
b. Meat Food Products Order: Processing of meat products is licensed
under this order.
c. Vegetable Oil Products Order: Specifications for vanaspati, margarine
and shortenings are laid down.
Voluntary product certification: There are voluntary grading and marking
schemes such as ISI mark of BIS and Agmark. The Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) deals with standardisation of various consumer goods
including food products and runs a voluntary certification scheme known
as ‘ISI’ mark for processed foods. Agmark is a voluntary scheme of
certification of agricultural products (raw and processed) for safeguarding
the health of consumers.
Since the government had several regulations and laws, food industry
found it cumbersome. A need was therefore felt to integrate all such laws
for regulating the quality of food. With this in view, Indian Government has
passed Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, to bring the different
pieces of legislation pertaining to food safety under one umbrella.
FSSA, 2006: The objects of the Act are to consolidate the laws relating to
food. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was established
for laying down science-based standards for food and to regulate their
manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability
of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The Act has provisions
for maintenance of hygienic conditions in and around manufacturing
124 premises, assessment and management of risk factors to human health

Chapters.indd 124 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 in a scientific manner, which were not specified in the PFA. The FSSA
reflects the international shift in food laws, from compositional standards
or vertical standards to safety or horizontal standards.

International Organisations and Agreements in the Area of Food

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

Standards, Quality, Research and Trade

Since ancient times, governing authorities the world over, have made

And Technology
attempts to develop and implement food standards in order to protect health
of consumers and prevent dishonest practices in sale of food. There have
been several international organisations and agreements which have played
a role in enhancing food safety, quality and security, facilitating research
and trade. The major organisations which are playing a key role are:
1. Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
2. International Organisation for Standardisation
3. World Trade Organisation

1. Codex Alimentarius Commission

CAC is an intergovernmental body formed with the objective of establishing
international standards to protect the health of the consumers and facilitate
food and agricultural trade. In 2017, the membership of Codex was 187
member countries and one Member Organisation (European Community)
respectively. India is a member through the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare. CAC has become the single most important international
reference point for developments associated with food standards. The
document published by the CAC is Codex Alimentarius which means ‘Food
Code’ and is a collection of internationally adopted Food Standards. The
document includes Standards, Codes of Practice, Guidelines and other
recommendations in order to protect consumers and ensure fair practices
in food trade. Different countries use Codex Standards to develop national
standards.

“Codex India” is the National Codex Contact Point (NCCP) for India.
It is located at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS),
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Goverenment of India. It
coordinates and promotes Codex activities in India in association
with the National Codex Committee. If you are interested,
you can get more information from the following websites:
www.codexalimentarius.net, www.codexindia.nic.in
125

Chapters.indd 125 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 2. International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is a worldwide,
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

non-governmental federation of national standards bodies (ISO member

bodies). The mission of ISO is to promote the development of standardisation
and related activities in the world with a view to facilitate the international
exchange of goods and services, and to develop cooperation in the spheres
of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity. The work
done by ISO results in international agreements which are published as
International Standards.
ISO 9000 is an international reference for quality requirements. It is
concerned with “Quality Management” of an organisation. Adoption of
these standards is voluntary.The difference between Codex and ISO are
given in the box given below:

Differences between Codex and ISO

Codex ISO

zz Used to develop national zz Voluntary

regulations zz Standards are reviewed
zz Slow to change every five years.
zz Describe the minimal zz Describe current
acceptable practices standard industrial
practices.

For more information visit http.www.iso.org

3. World Trade Organisation (WTO)

WTO was established in 1995. The main objective of WTO is to help trade flow
smoothly, freely, fairly and predictably, by administering trade agreements,
settling trade disputes, assisting countries in trade policy issues. The WTO
Agreement covers goods, services and intellectual property.
In order to enforce adoption and implementation of standards, there is
a need for a strong Food Control System. An effective food control system
must consist of — (i) Food Inspection and (ii) Analytical capability.
Food Inspection: Conformity of products to standards is verified through
126
inspection. This will ensure that all foods are produced, handled, processed,

Chapters.indd 126 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 stored and distributed in compliance with regulations and legislation.
Government / Municipal authorities appoint food inspectors to investigate
the status of quality conformity to standards in their laboratories.
Analytical capability: There is need for well-equipped, state-of-the-art

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

accredited laboratories to carry out analysis of food. Further, well- trained
personnel having knowledge of principles of laboratory management and
physical, chemical and microbiological analysis of food, test foods and

And Technology
food products are also required. A broad range of analytical capabilities
is required for detecting food contaminants, environmental chemicals,
biotoxins, pathogenic bacteria, food-borne viruses and parasites.

Food Safety Management Systems

Over the years, issues related to food safety and quality have gone beyond
just the avoidance of food-borne pathogens, chemical toxicants and other
hazards. A food hazard can enter/come into the food at any stage of the
food chain, therefore, adequate control through out the food chain is
essential. Food safety and quality can be ensured through :
zz Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
zz Good Handling Practices (GHP)
zz Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are a part of quality assurance to
ensure that manufacturers/processors take proactive steps to ensure that
their products are safe. It enables to minimise or eliminate contamination
and false labelling, thereby protecting the consumer from being misled
and helping in purchasing products that are not harmful. GMP is a good
business tool that helps to refine compliance and performance by the
manufacturers/producers.
Good Handling Practices indicate a comprehensive approach from the farm
to the store or consumer, in order to identify potential sources of risk
and indicates what steps and procedures are taken to minimise the risk
of contamination. It ensures that all persons who handle food have good
hygiene practices.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

HACCP is a means of providing assurance about safety of food. HACCP

is an approach to food manufacture and storage in which raw materials
and each individual step in a specific process are considered in detail and
evaluated for its potential to contribute to the development of pathogenic
micro organisms or other food hazards. It involves identification of hazards,
assessment of chances of occurrence of hazards during each step /stage in 127

Chapters.indd 127 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 the food chain – raw material procurement, manufacturing, distribution,
usage of food products and defining measures for hazard(s) control.
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

Activity 2
Visit a nearby restaurant / canteen / dhaba /street food vending
outlet and observe the following:
zz The area where food is prepared and served
zz How the food is prepared and stored
zz How the food is served
zz The food service area
zz Washing area
zz The area surrounding the unit
zz All persons involved in handling the food from pre-preparation
till its service.
Comment on the cleanliness and hygiene and give suggestions for
improvement.
Prepare a pamphlet on food safety and hygiene for the workers using
ICT.

Why implement HACCP?

zz It is a preventive approach to ensure food safety.
zz End product inspection and testing, although important, is time
consuming, expensive and detects the problems only after they
occur. In contrast, HACCP enables us to detect hazards at any stage
of processing or manufacture in order to ensure a good quality end
product, by taking appropriate action at the stage where the problem
occurs.
zz It enables producers, processors, distributors and exporters to utilise
resources efficiently and in a cost effective manner for assuring food
safety.
zz FSSA, 2006 places primary responsibility for safe food with producers
and suppliers through HACCP, GMP, GHP. This is important for
consumer protection and international food trade.
zz It assures consistently good quality products.

128

Chapters.indd 128 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 Scope
India is experiencing growth in the area of food processing. The food
industry in India accounts for about 26 per cent of the gross domestic

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

product (GDP) and will be one of the major growth areas in the years ahead.
This has given impetus to international trade but has also increased the
responsibility to achieve appropriate level of safety in terms of sanitary and

And Technology
phyto-sanitary protection. Further, the Indian Food Safety and Standards
Act of 2006, reflects a major shift in food laws and seeks to provide greater
consumer protection by ensuring safety and wholesomeness of food at all
stages of the food chain. This changing scenario has widened the scope
and increased career options/opportunities in this area.
Professionals who take up careers in this area need to have adequate
knowledge and expertise in Food Chemistry, Food Processing and
Preservation, Food Analysis and Quality Control. It is also desirable to
be well versed in Food Microbiology, Food Laws and Sensory Evaluation.
Professionals may be employed with regulatory and public health agencies
as food legislators, food safety officers (inspectors), food analysts/public
analysts. Professionals can also work in voluntary agencies such as
Agmark, BIS, as well as in the Quality Control Laboratories. One can work
as food auditor after undergoing required training. Further, large food
industries, flight kitchens, etc. have in-house quality control units which
require trained professionals. In a Food Industry, numerous opportunities
are available as shown in Fig. 6.6.

Quality Control Analysts in Quality

Manager Control Lab

Food Safety
Internal Food Auditor Food
Manager and Member
to assess HACCP Industry of HACCP Team

R&D Department Trainer for

implementation of
HACCP

Fig. 6.6: Job Opportunities in Food Industry

129

Chapters.indd 129 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 Self-employment and Entrepreneurship: One can initiate
entrepreneurship activities through analytical food laboratory, food safety
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

consultancy and Food Safety and Sanitation Education.

Placement options are emerging at different levels in both regulatory
and health agencies. Integrated approaches in Home Science curriculum,
especially in the discipline of Food Science and Nutrition, impart the
knowledge to improve safety and quality. The courses enable to develop
skills necessary to understand and manage food safety hazards.

Career Avenues
zz Quality Control Laboratories in food industry as analysts or at
managerial level
zz Food testing laboratories in public and private sector — various
positions including food inspectors, food testing
zz Specialist in HACCP
zz Food Auditors
zz Quality Certification such as ISO
zz Teaching and Academics
zz Research
zz Scientific writers
zz In voluntary organisations in various capacities

Key Terms
Food borne illness, food poisoning, food quality, food safety, hazards, food
infection, food standards, FSSA.

Review Questions
1. Explain why food safety and quality are of global concern.
2. Explain the terms: hazard, toxicity, contamination, food quality,
adulteration.
3. What is Codex Alimentarius?
4. Discuss the significance of HACCP.
130 5. List the national and international food standards.

Chapters.indd 130 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 Practical 1
Theme: Test of Food Adulteration
Tasks: 1. Visit local shops and collect various food materials – raw

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

and cooked
2. Examine the foods for presence of adulterants

And Technology
3. Record observations

Purpose: This practical will expose the students to simple ways of

identifying adulteration in foods and understand the importance of quality
and safety.

Conducting the Practical

1. Divide the class into 3 groups.

2. Each group will bring samples of food as follows:
• Group A: raw foods such as rice, wheat, pulses, spices such as
mustard seeds, coriander seeds, jeera, tea leaves (Note : 100 g
of each should be procured from two different shops, preferably
loose unpacked materials should be procured).
• Group B will bring snacks such as pakodas, idlis, samosas or
any that are available locally from two or three different roadside
vendors.
• Group C will bring assorted mithais/Indian sweets from two
different vendors.
3. All groups will use the work sheet given and evaluate the foods for
the presence or absence of various hazards.

131

Chapters.indd 131 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 Work Sheet
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

Present in Present in Present in Absent

Large Amounts/ Moderate Small Amounts/
Numbers Amounts/ Numbers
Numbers

Have you found any of the following raw food ingredients used in your preparations?

Hair

Stones

Stems & seeds

Matchsticks

Stapler pins

Bidis/
Cigarettes

Camphor balls

Worms/Insect
parts

Mercury balls

Infested grains

Any other

4. Use separate worksheets for each vendor and each food.

5. Compare and comment on the quality of various food items.

132

Chapters.indd 132 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 Practical 2

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

Theme: Qualitative Tests for Food Adulteration
Tasks: 1. Collect all the chemicals and glassware needed for the tests

And Technology
listed below.
2. Collect the foods to be tested from different sources such as
branded, unbranded packed and loose.
3. Perform the tests for the foodstuffs as per the procedures
given.
4. Interpret the results of the tests.
5. Compare the branded, unbranded packed and loose food
items and comment on the quality of the food stuffs.
Purpose: This practical will acquaint students with some qualitative tests
of food adulteration. It will provide hands-on experience in testing the
foods and enable them to comment on the quality of the tested foods. It will
also enable them to appreciate the importance of good quality foodstuffs.

Conducting the Practical

Class is to be divided into groups of 3-4 each. Each group is to bring to

class samples of the following:
1. Pepper: branded packed, unbranded packed and loose – 25 g each
2. Ice cream : branded and unbranded (manufactured and sold by local
vendor) 1 small cup
3. Milk : branded packaged, loose ( 100ml)
4. Vegetable oil :– sesame oil, groundnut oil, hydrogenated fat/ vanaspati,
branded and unbranded loose pure ghee( 25g each)
5. Tea leaves: branded , loose locally available leaf teas ( 3 in number)
100g of each sample
6. Turmeric powder: branded, unbranded packed and loose
7. Asafoetida powder: branded and unbranded loose
Collect the chemicals as listed in the practical for each foodstuff.
Conduct the tests as per the procedures outlined.
133

Chapters.indd 133 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 Tests
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

1. Test for Detection of Sesame Oil in Pure Ghee to determine

whether the ghee is adulterated with hydrogenated fat/
vanaspati which contains sesame oil.
Chemicals: 1 per cent sucrose solution
Concentrated hydrochloric acid
Procedure: Take 5 test tubes.
In Test tube A pour approx 2 ml of sesame oil.
In Test tube B pour approx 2 ml of groundnut oil.
In Test tube C pour approx 2 ml of melted vanaspati.
In Test tube D pour approx 2 ml of melted branded
ghee.
In Test tube E pour approx 2 ml of melted loose
ghee.
To each test tube, add 1 ml of 1 per cent sucrose solution.
Then to each test tube, add 1ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid.
Shake each test tube well.
Observation: Note if a pink colour develops. Development of pink colour
indicates presence of sesame oil.
Interpretation: Are the ghee samples pure or adulterated?

2. Test for presence of excessive amount of stalks in tea leaves

Procedure: 1. Weigh 5 gm of tea leaves into a conical flask
or a beaker. Label the container.
2. To this add 500 ml of water and boil the
flask/beaker for 15 minutes.
3. Filter out the water.
4. Transfer the tea sample to a flat white plate
and with a forceps, pick out the stalks and
place them in a preweighed petridish or
crucible.
5. Dry the stalks at 100 degrees until all the
moisture has evaporated.
134 6. Weigh the stalks.

Chapters.indd 134 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 7. Calculate the percentage of stalks in the tea.
Interpretation: The proportion of stalks in the tea should be
less than 25 per cent.

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

3. Test for Detecting Light berries in Black Pepper
Chemicals: Alcohol water mixture (sp.gr 0.8 to 0.82)

And Technology
Procedure: 1. Take about 10g of the pepper sample in a
250 ml beaker.
2. Add approximately 150–200 ml of the alcohol
water mixture.
3. Pick out the berries which rise to the top and
float.
4. Dry the berries and weigh them.
5. Calculate the percentage of dried berries.
Interpretation: The higher percentage of light berries,
suggests that the berries have been extracted
from the black berries.

4. Test for presence of metanil yellow in turmeric

Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid concentrated
Procedure: 1. Take about 2 g of turmeric sample in a
testtube.
2. Add 5ml of distilled water.
3. Mix well.
4. Add concentrated hydrochloric acid (about
5 ml to 10 ml) slowly into the tube.
Observation: Observe the test-tube for development of
pink to magenta colour.

Interpretation: Development of pink to magenta colour

denotes the presence of metanil yellow which
is a toxic adulterant.

135

Chapters.indd 135 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 5. Test for presence of starch in milk and ice cream
Chemicals: Iodine solution
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

Procedure: 1. In a test tube, add approximately 10 ml of

milk or melted ice cream.
2. Add iodine solution, drop by drop.
3. Mix the contents of the test tube.
Observation: Observe for appearance of blue colour.
Interpretation: Development of blue colour indicates the
presence of starch in the sample.

6. Test for presence of colophenial resins in asafetida (hing)

Chemicals: 0.5 per cent copper acetate solution in water
Petroleum ether
Procedure: 1. Take about 1-2 g of asafetida sample in a test
tube. Add approximately 10 ml of petroleum
ether.
2. Shake the test tube well.
3. Filter the contents of the tube.
4. To 5 ml of the filterate add 5 ml of copper
acetate solution.
5. Shake and allow the layers to separate.
Observation: Note whether a blue or green colour develops
in the ether layer.
Interpretation: Development of blue or green colour denotes
the presence of colophenial resins that are
not permitted.

136

Chapters.indd 136 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 References for Further Reading

Chandrashekar, U. 2002. Food Science and Applications in Indian

Unit II - Nutrition, Food Science

Cookery. Phoenix Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Government of India.

And Technology
Insel, P., Turner, E.R., Ross, D. Nutrition, 3rd edition. American
Dietetic Association.
Jood, S. and N. Khetarpaul, 1991. Food Preservation. Agrotech
Publishing Academy. Jaipur.
Joshi, S. A. 2010. Nutrition and Dietetics with Indian Case Studies.
Tata McGraw Hill Education Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai.
Manay, S. N. and M. Shadaksharawamy, 2001. (Eds) Foods, Facts and
Principles. 3rd edition, New Age International. New Delhi.
Mudambi, S. R. and M. V. Rajgopal 2006. Fundamentals of Foods and
Nutrition. Wiley Eastern Ltd.
Raheena Begum. 1989. A Textbook of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics.
Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.
Rao, J. P. 2006. Nutrition and Food Science. Aavishkar Publishers,
Distributors, Jaipur.
Satarkar, A. 2008. Food Science and Nutrition. ABD Publishers.
Jaipur.
Sethi, M. 2008. Institutional Food Management. New Age Publishers.
New Delhi.
Subbulakshmi, G. and S. A. Udipi, 2006. Food Processing and
Preservation. New Age Publishers, New Delhi.
UNICEF State of the World’s Children. Report.
UNICEF website www.unicef.org
Wadhwa, A. and S. Sharma, 2003. Nutrition in the Community. A
Textbook. Elite Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
Websites of Government of India’s Ministry of Food Processing,
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child
Development
WHO website www. whoindia.org, www.who.int

137

Chapters.indd 137 16-02-2018 16:45:53

 Notes
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
138
__________________________________________________________________

Chapters.indd 138 16-02-2018 16:45:53