INTRODUCTION

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. Adulteration of
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 antisocial evil a concerted
and determined onslaught 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 century chemical and
micros copal knowledge had reached the stage that food
substances could be analysed, and the subject of food
adulteration began to be studied from the standpoint of
the rights and welfare of the consumer. 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
penalties for violation provided. In the United States the
federal Food and Drug Act of 1906 was the result of a
long and stormy campaign led by Dr. Harvey Washington
Wiley. This law defined food adulteration and the
misbranding of products; it provided regulations covering
the interstate movement of food and penalties for
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 The 1906 act was superseded in 1938 by the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 labelling of 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
labelling; it provided for factory inspections; and it
increased the penalties for violations. It was amended in
1958 and 1962 to define and regulate food additives and
food colouring. The federal law controls traffic from one
state to another and is supplemented by local regulations
that 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.
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, become possible for the Central
Government to enact 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 —
i. i. A Central Food Laboratory to which food samples
can be referred to for final opinion in disputed
cases (clause 4),
ii. ii. A Central Committee for Food Standards
consisting of representatives of Central and State
Governments to advise on matters arising from the
administration of the Act (clause 3), and iii. 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).
iii.
ACT 37 OF 1954: The Prevention of Food Adulteration
Bill was passed by both the house of Parliament and
received the assent of the President on 29th September,
1954. It came into force on 1st June, 1955 as THE
PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION ACT, 1954 (37 of
1954).

LIST OF ADAPTATION ORDER AND AMENDING ACTs:

1. The Adaptation of Laws (No.3) Order, 1956.
2. The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act,
1964 (49 of 1964).
 3. The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment)
Act, 1971 (41 of 1971).
4. The Prevention of Food Adulteration (Amendment) Act,
1976 (34 of 1976).
5. 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.

PRECAUTIONS
By taking a few precautions, we can escape from
consuming adulterated products.
1. Take only packed items of well-known companies.
2. Buy items from reliable retail shops and recognized
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 buy sweets or snacks kept in open.
7. Avoid buying things from street side vendors.
 THEORY
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 behaviour may
endanger consumer health and misleading can lead to
poisoning. So, we need simple screening tests for their
detection. In the past few decades, adulteration of food
has become one of the serious problems. Consumption of
adulterated food causes serious diseases like cancer,
diarrhoea, asthma, ulcers, etc. Majority of fats, oils and
butter are paraffin wax, castor oil and hydrocarbons. Red
chilli powder is mixed with brick powder and pepper is
mixed with dried papaya seeds. These adulterants can be
easily identified by simple chemical tests. Several
agencies have been set up by the Government of India to
remove adulterants from food stuff.
 EXPERIMENT 1
Aim: To detect the presence of adulterants in fat, oil and
butter.

Apparatus Required: Test-tube, conc. H2SO4, acetic

acid, conc. HNO3.

Procedure: Common adulterants present in ghee and oil

are dyes and argemone oil. These are detected as
follows:
(i) (i)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 dye in fat.
(ii)
(iii) (ii) Adulteration of argemone oil in edible oils: To
small amount of oil in a test-tube, add few drops of
conc. HNO3 and shake it well. 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)
(iii) (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.
 (iv) EXPERIMENT 3
Aim: To detect the presence of adulterants in samples of
chili powder, turmeric powder and pepper.

Apparatus Required: Test-tubes, 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:
(i) Adulteration of red lead salts in chili powder: To a
sample of chili 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) (ii) Adulteration of yellow lead salts to turmeric
powder: To a sample of turmeric powder add
conc. HCl. Appearance of magenta color shows
the presence of yellow oxides of lead in turmeric
powder.
(iii) (iii) Adulteration of brick powder in red chili
powder: Add small amount of given red chili
powder in beaker containing water. Brick powder
settles at the bottom while pure chili powder
floats over water.
(iv) (iv) Adulteration of dried papaya seeds in pepper:
Add small amount of sample of pepper to beaker
containing water and stir with a glass rod. Dried
papaya seeds being lighter float over water while
pure pepper settles at the bottom.
 (v)
Experim Experim Proced Observ
ent (i) ent ure ation (ii)
(iii)
(iv
(v
no.
(vi) (vi) OBSERVATIONS (vii)
(vi(i

1. Adulteration of Heat 1mL of Appearance of

dyes in fat fat with a pink colour.
mixture of
1mL of conc.
H2SO4 and
4mL of acetic
acid.
2. Adulteration of To small No red colour
argemone oil amount of oil observed
in edible oils in a test tube,
add few drops
of conc. HNO3
& shake.
3. Adulteration of Adulteration ofPure sugar
various various dissolves in
insoluble insoluble water but
substances in substances in insoluble
sugar sugar impurities do
not dissolve.
4. Adulteration of To small No brisk
chalk powder, amount of effervescence
washing soda sugar in a test observed.
in sugar tube, add a
few drops of
dil. HCl
5. Adulteration of To sample of Appearance of
yellow lead turmeric magenta
salts to powder, add colour
turmeric conc. HCl.
powder
6. Adulteration of To a sample of No yellow
 red lead salts chilli powder, precipitate.
in chilli add dil. HNO3.
powder. Filter the
solution and
add 2 drops of
KI solution to
the filtrate.
7. Adulteration of Add small Brick powder
brick powder amount of settles at the
in chilli given red chilli bottom while
powder powder in a pure chilli
beaker powder floats
containing over water.
water
8. Adulteration of Add small Dried papaya
dried papaya amount of seeds being
seeds in sample of lighter float
pepper pepper to over water
beaker while pure
containing pepper settles
water and stir at the bottom.
with a glass
rod.

RESULT
The required analysis for adulterants in food stuffs has
been made.
 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. 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 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. It also helps in
checking the freshness of the food and the period of best
before use. 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. It is always
better to buy certified food from reputed shops.
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Bhavya Panda, a student of class
12th E, has successfully completed the research on the
below mentioned project under the guidance of Dr.
Shiney Sabu during the year 2024-2025.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many
people have best owned upon me their blessings and the
heart pledged support, this time I am utilizing to thank all
the people who have been concerned with project.
Primarily I would thank God for being able to complete
this project with success. Then I would like to thank my
principal and chemistry teacher, whose valuable
guidance has been the ones that helped me patch this
project and make it full proof success. Her suggestions
and her instructions have served as the major contributor
towards the completion of the project. Then I would like
to thank my parents and friends who have helped me
with their valuable suggestions and guidance has been
helpful in various phases of the completion of the project.
Last but not the least I would like to thank my classmates
who have helped me a lot.
 Bibliography
For successfully completing my project, I have taken help
from the following website links:
1)www.wikipedia.com
2)www.google.com