WISDOM SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL,
TEZPUR
CHEMISTRY PROJECT
ON
STUDY OF ADULTERANTS IN FOOD STUFFS
FOR THE SESSION 2023-24
SUBMITED BY
NAME: DHIRAJ DEKA
ROLL: 0909 NO.:20082
REGISTRATION NO. :235605
UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF
UTTAM HAZARIKA
P.G.T. CHEMISTRY, WSSS
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this Investigatory Project on “STUDY OF ADULTERANTS
IN FOOD STUFFS” submitted by DHIRAJ DEKA to the Department of
Chemistry , Wisdom Senior Secondary School, Tezpur for the requirement of
Chemistry Practical Exam conducted by AHSEC, was carried out under the
guidance and supervision of PGT Chemistry UTTAM HAZARIKA, for the session
2023-24.
Teacher in Charge Principal
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project is a result of dedicated effort. It gives me immense
pleasure to prepare this report on the topic “STUDY OF
ADULTERANTS IN FOOD STUFFS”
I express my deepest gratitude to the Principal of Wisdom
Senior Secondary School, Tezpur, and our Chemistry Teacher Sri
Uttam Hazarika (PGT Chemistry) and for constructive supervision
and suggestion regarding the topic and how to proceed forward in
the report. I would like to thank my parents and friends too who
helped me in making this project a successful one.
Students’ Signature
CONTENTS
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Certificate
Acknowledgement
Introduction
Theory
Objective
Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Experiment 3
Observations
Results
Precautions
Conclusion
Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
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Food is one of the basic necessities for sustenance of life. Pure, fresh and healthy diet is most
essential for the health of the people. It is no wonder to say that community health is National
wealth.
Adulterants of the food-stuffs was so rampant, widespread and persistent that nothing
short of a somewhat drastic remedy in the form of a comprehensive legislation became the need
of the hour.
To check this kind of anti-social evil a concerted and determined on slaught was launched
by the government by introduction of the prevention of Food Adulteration Bill in the Parliament
to herald an era of much needed hope and relief for the consumers at large.
About the middle of the 19th cent. Chemical and microscopic Knowledge had reached the
stage that Food substances could be analyzed, and the subject of food adulteration began to be
studied from the standpoint of the rights and welfare of the consumers.
In 1860 the first food Law framed in the interest of the purchaser was passed. That law,
lacking sufficient means of enforcement, remained largely ineffective until 1872, when
administrative officials were appointed and the penalties for violation provided. In the United
States federal Food And Drug Act of 1906 was the result of a long and stormy Campaign by Dr.
Harvey Washington Wiley.This law defined food alteration and the misbranding of Products; it
provided regulations covering the interstate movement of food and penalties of violations.
The 1906 act was superseded in 1938 by the more rigorous Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
administered since 1940 by The Food And Drug Administration ( now within the Dept. of Health
and Human Services).
The FDA is charged with enforcing truthful and informative Labeling of the essential
commodities, maintaining staff Laboratories and formulating definitions and standards
Promoting fair dealing in the interests of the consumer.
The 1938 act broadened the definitions of adulteration, Misbranding, and lack of
informative labeling; it provided for Factory inspections; and it increased the penalties for
Violations. It was amended in 1958 and 1962 t define and Regulate food additives and food
coloring.
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The federal law controls traffic from one state to another and is supplemented by local
regulations the require food handlers to be licensed, thereby discouraging the spread of disease;
it provides for the inspection by health officers of meat and other foods, of restaurants, and of
dairies and cold storage methods. Imported goods that violate the provisions of the act may be
denied admittance to the United States and if not removed within a given time may be destroyed.
Statement Of Objects And Reasons
Laws existed in a number of States in India for the Prevention of adulteration of food-stuffs, but
they lacked uniformity having been passed at different times without mutual consultation
between States. The need for Central Legislation for the whole country in this matter has been
felt since 1937 when a Committee appointed by the central Advisory board of Health
recommended this step.
Adulteration of food-stuffs and other goods’ is now Included in the Concurrent list (III)
in the constitution of India. It has, therefore, became possible for the central Government to enact
an All India Legislation on this subject. The bill replaces all local food adulteration laws where
they exist and also applies to those States where there are no local laws on the subject. Among
others, it provides for
A Central Food Laboratory to which food samples can be referred to for final opinion in
disputed cases (clause 4),
A Central Committee for Food Standards consisting of representative of Central and
State Governments to advise on matters arising from the administration of the Act
( clause 3 ), and The Vesting in the Central Government of the rule - making power regarding
standards of quality for the articles of food and certain other matters (clause 22).
Act 37 Of 1954
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The prevention of Food Adulteration Bill was passed by both the house of Parliament and
received the assent of the President on 29 th September, 1954. It came into force on 1 st June, 1955
as THE PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION ACT, 1954 (37 OF 1954).
List Of Adaptation Order And Amending Acts
A. The Adaptation of Laws (No.3) Order, 1956.
B. The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1964 (49 of 1964).
C. The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1971 (41 OF 1971).
D. The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1976 (34 of 1976).
E. The Prevention of food Adulteration (Amendment) Act, 1986 ( 70 of 1986 ).
Government Measures
To check the suppliers of food from doing so, the government has passed a stringent act which is
known as Preservation of food Adulteration Act.
They have been implemented with the objective of providing safety to human beings in
the supply of food. It covers safety from risks involved due to contamination of poisonous
elements. The specification laid down of various foods under the provisions of PFA Act covers
minimum basic characteristics of the products below which it is deemed to be adulterated and
also covers the maximum limit of contaminant not considered being safe for human beings
beyond a certain
level.
THEORY
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The increasing number of food producers and the outstanding amount of import foodstuffs
enables the producers to mislead and cheat consumers.
To differentiate those who take advantage of legal rules from the ones who commit food
adulteration is very difficult. The consciousness of consumers would be crucial. Ignorance and
unfair market behavior may endanger consumer health and mislead can lead to poisoning.
So we need simple screening test for their detection. In the past few decades, adulteration
of food has become one of the serious problems. Consumption of adulteration food causes
serious diseases like cancer, diarrhea, asthma, ulcers, etc. Majority of fats, oils and butter are
paraffin wax, castor oil and hydrocarbons. Red chili powder and pepper is mixed with dried
papaya seeds.
OBJECTIVE
The Objective of this project is to study some of the common food adulterants present in
different food stuffs.
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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 adulteration present in ghee and oil are paraffin wax, hydrocarbons, dyes and
argemone oil. These are detected as follows:
1. Adulteration of paraffin wax and hydrocarbon in vegetable ghee heat small amount of
vegetable ghee with anhydride. Droplets of oil floating on the surface of unused acetic
anhydride indicates the pressure of wax or hydrocarbons.
2. 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 color indicates presence of dyes in fat.
3. Adulteration of agermone oil in edible oils to small amount of oil in a test-tube, add few
drops of conc. HNO3 and shake. Appearance of red color in acid layer indicates presence
of argemone oil.
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EXPERIMENT 2
Aim
To detect the presence of adulteration in sugar.
Apparatus Required
Test-tubes,
Dil. HCl.
Procedure
Sugar usually contaminated with washing soda and other insoluble substance which are detected
as follows:
1. Adulteration of various insoluble substance in sugar take small amount of sugar in a test-
tube and shake it with little water. Pure sugar dissolved in water but insoluble impurities
do not dissolve.
2. 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 CO 2 shows thye presence of chalk
powder or washing soda in the given sample of sugar.
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EXPERIMENT 3
Aim
To detect the presence of adulterants in samples of chili Powder ,turmeric powder and pepper.
Apparatus Required
Test-tube
Conc. HCL
Dil.HNO3
KI solution.
Procedure
Common adulterants present in chili powder, turmeric powder and pepper are red colored lead
salts, yellow lead salts and dried papaya seeds respectively. They are detected as follows
1. Adulteration of red lead salts in chili powder To a Sample of chilli powder, add dil.HNO 3
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.
2. Adulteration of yellow lead salts to turmeric powder To a sample of turmeric powder add
HCL. Appearance of magenta colour shows the Presence of yellow oxides of lead in
turmeric Powder.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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OBSERVATIONS
Sl. No. Experiment Procedure Observation
1. Adulteration of paraffin Heat small amount of Appearance of oil
wax and hydrocarbon in vegetable ghee with acetic floating on the surface.
vegetable ghee anhydride. Droplets of oils
floating on the surface of
unused acetic anhydride
indicate the presence of wax or
hydrocarbon.
2. Adulterations of dyes in Heat 1ml of fat with a mixture Appearance of pink
fat. of 1ml of conc. H2SO4 and 4ml colour.
of acetic acid.
3. Adulteration of To small amount of oil in a No red colour observed.
argemone oil in edible test tube, add few drops of
oil conc. HNO3 & shake.
4 Adulteration of various Take small amount of sugar in Pure sugar dissolves in
insoluble substances in a test tube and shake it with water but insoluble
sugar. little water. impurities do not
dissolve.
5 Adulteration of chalk To small amount of sugar in No brisk efferverence
powder, washing soda attest tube, add a few drops of observed.
in sugar. dil. HCL.
6 Adulteration yellow To sample of turmeric powder, Appearance of magenta
lead salts to turmeric add conc. HCL. colour.
powder
Adulteration of red lead To a sample of chilli powder, No yellow precipitate.
add dill.HNO3. Filter the
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salts to chilli powder. solution and add 2 drops of KI
solution to the filtrate.
Adulteration of brick Add small amount of given red Brick powder settles at
powder in chilli powder. chillli powder in a beaker the bottom while pure
containing water. chilli powder floats over
water.
Adulteration of dried Add small amount of sample Dried papaya seeds being
papaya seeds in pepper. of pepper to beaker containing lighter float over water
water and stir with a glass rod. while pure pepper settles
at the bottom.
RESULTS:
From the above experiments it has been established that various food or consumable products
may contain adulterants like paraffin wax and hydrocarbon in vegetable ghee, dyes in fat,
argemone oil in edible oil, insoluble substances in sugar, chalk powder, washing soda in sugar,
yellow lead salts to turmeric powder, red lead salts to chilli powder, brick powder in chilli
powder, dried papaya seeds in pepper.
CONCLUSION
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Selection of wholesome and non-adulterated food is essential for daily life to make sure that such
foods do not cause any health hazard. It is not possible to ensure wholesome food only on visual
examination when the toxic contaminants are present in ppm level. 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 the food after
thoroughly examining can be of great help. Secondly, label declaration on packed food is very
important for knowing the ingredients and nutrition value. It also helps in checking the freshness
of the food and the period of best before use. The consumers 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. It is always better to buy certified food from reputed shops.
PRECAUTIONS
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By taking a few precautions, we can escape from consuming adulterated products.
● Take only packed items of well – known companies.
● Buy items from reliable retail shops and recognized outlets.
● Check the ISI mark or Ag mark.
● Buy products of only air tight popular brands.
● Avoid craziness for artificially colored sweets and buy only from reputed shops
● Do not buy sweets or snacks kept in open.
● Avoid buying things from street side vendors.
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BIBILOGRAPHY
1. WEBSITES :
www.ask.com
www.pharmaceutical-drugmanufacturers.com
www.answers.yahoo.com
2. BOOKS :
Comprehensive Practical Manual for class XII
Pradeep’s New Course Chemistry
NCERT Class XII Part II
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