KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA ASC

CENTRE (SOUTH)
CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
STUDY OF ADULTRANTS IN
FOOD-STUFFS
MADE BY: -
ANKIT GARAI
XII A
 CERTIFICATE
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 AIM
 INTRODUCTION
 THEORY
 EXPERIMENT-1
 EXPERIMENT-2
 EXPERIMENT-3
 OBSERVATION
 RESULT
 ADULTRANTS AND THEIR
DISEASES
 PRECAUTION
 CONCLUSION
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ankit garai of class XII-A has

successfully completed investigatory project on the
topic “STUDY OF ADULTERATION OF FOODS-
STUFFS” under the guidance of Mrs. M.V. Sridevi
during the year 2019-2020 in the partial fulfillment
of the chemistry practical examination conducted
by CBSE.

Signature of examiner
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to express

my sincere thanks and gratitude to my
Chemistry teacher Mrs. M.V.Sridevi (PGT)
for her vital support and guidance in
completing this project.

I would like to extend my

gratitude and thanks to all who helped me
in completion of the project.

I also thank my parents for such a

support in completion of the project.
 AIM:

TO STUDY SOME OF
THE COMMON FOOD
ADULTERANTS
DIFFERENT FOOD
STUFFS…
Adulteration is the act of intentionally debasing the
quality of food offered for sale either by mixture or
substitution of inferior substances or by removal of
some valuable ingredient. In past few decades
adulteration of foods has become one of the most
serious problems.
Consumption of adulterated food causes diseases
like cancer, asthma, ulcer, etc. Majority of
adulterants use by the shopkeepers are cheap
substitutes which are easily available.
In order to prevent adulteration of food products by
dishonest traders, the government has issued
‘THE PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION ACT’.
The bureau of Indian Standards is the agency in India
that provides the certificate of reliability to food
manufacturers in India.
The increasing number of food producers and the
outstanding amount of import food stuffs 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 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 most serious problems.
Consumption of adulterated food causes diseases
like cancer, diarrhea, 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 setup by the
Government of India to remove adulterants from
food stuffs.
AGMARK- acronym for agricultural marketing… this
organization certifies food products for their quality.
Its objective is to promote the Grading a
Standardization of agricultural and allied commode.
SOME OF THE COMMON FOOD
ADULTERANTS IN FOOD ITEMS ARE:

FOOD ITEMS ADULTERANTS

Desi ghee and butter Vanaspati ghee

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

To detect the presence of adulterants in fat, oil and

butter.
REQUIREMENTS:
Test tube, acetic anhydride, concentrated H2SO4, acetic
acid, concentrated HNO3.
PROCEDURE:
Common adulterants present on 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 dies in fat-
 Heat 1ml of fat with a mixture of 1ml conc.
Sulphuric acid and 4ml 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 a few
drops of conc. HNO3 and shake. Appearance of
red colour in the acid layer indicates presence of
argemone oil.
 Experiment 2
To detect the presence of adulterants in sugar
REQUIREMENTS:
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 a few
drops of dil. HCl. Brisk effervescence of CO2
shows the presence of chalk powder or washing
soda in the given sample of sugar.
 Experiment 3
To detect the presence of adulterants in sample of chilli
powder, turmeric powder and pepper.
REQUIREMENTS:
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 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 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
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
 OBSERVATIONS
EXPT EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE OBSERVATI
.NO ONS
Adulteration of Heat small amount Appearance of oil

1 paraffin wax and

hydroc/arbon in
of vegetable ghee
with acetic
floating on the
surface
vegetable ghee anhydride.
Droplets of oil
floating on the
surface of unused
acetic anhydride
indicate the
presence of wax or
hydrocarbon.
Adulteration of Heat 1ml of fat with Appearance of

2 dyes in fat a mixture of 1ml of

conc. H2So4 and 4ml
pink color

of acetic acid
Adulteration of Take small amount No red color

3 various insoluble of sugar in a test

substances in sugar tube and shake it
observed

with little water

Adulteration of Take small amount Pure sugar

4 various insoluble of sugar in a test

substances in sugar tube and shake it
dissolves in water
but insoluble
with little water impurities do not
dissolve
 Adulteration of Take amount of No brisk

5 chalk powder,
washing soda in
sugar in a test tube,
add a few drops of
effervesces
observed
sugar dil. HCL
Adulteration of To sample of Appearance of

6 yellow leads salts

to
turmeric powder,
add conc HCL
magenta color

tur////////////meric
powder
Adulteration of red To sample of chili No yellow

7 lead salts in chili

powder
powder, add dil.
HNo3.filter the
precipitate

solution and add

two drops of KI
solution to the
filtrate
Adulteration of Add small amount of Brick powder

8 brick powder in chili

powder
given red chili
powder in a beaker
settles at the
bottom while pure
contain/Ning water chili powder
floats over
water.
Adulteration n of Add small amount of Dried papaya

9 dried papaya seeds

in pepper
sample of pepper to seeds being
beaker containing lighter float
water and stir with over water while
a glass rod. pure pepper
settles at the
bottom.
 RESULT
 The required analyses for
adulterants in food stuffs has
been made.
 ADULTERANTS AND
DISEASES

S.NO. FOOD PRODUCT COMMON DISEASE

ADULTERANT CAUSED

1. Black pepper Dried papaya Stomach

seeds irritation,
liver
damage,
cancer
2. Butter and pure Starch, Food
desi ghee vanaspati ghee poisoning

3. Chilli powder Brick powder, Liver

artificial colour damage,
stomach
irritation
 4. Sugar Fine white Stomach
sand, chalk disorder
powder

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 Ag mark.
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.

Conclusion
Selection of wholesum 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 wholesum food only on visual examination when
the toxic contaminants are present in ppm level.
Firstly, 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.

1. WEBSITES:
  www.wikipedia.org

 www.google.com

 www.yahoo.com

2. BOOKS:

 Comprehensive practical manual

 Pradeep’s new course chemistry

 NCERT Class Xll