The coriander powder, turmeric, and other spices in your kitchen might not be as pure as you think. In a shocking discovery, authorities recently uncovered a massive 15-tonne stockpile of adulterated spices from two factories in Northeast Delhi.
These counterfeit products were being made using ingredients like rotten leaves, spoiled rice and millets, wood dust, chilli heads, and even acids and oils. The seizure serves as a stark reminder of the , putting the health and safety of consumers at risk.
As food adulteration becomes a growing concern, it’s essential to know how to protect yourself. It’s not just about poor-quality spices; food adulteration can be a serious health hazard. Knowing how to spot fake spices is important in and substandard products.
Here are a few simple ways in which you can test the purity of common spices, right at home:
1. Whole turmeric: To check if your turmeric is pure, drop a piece into a glass of water. If the water turns yellow, it means the turmeric is likely adulterated with harmful lead chromate. Pure turmeric will not change the colour of the water.
2. Cinnamon: Authentic cinnamon is a thin, single-layer bark that can easily be rolled around a pencil. If your cinnamon is thick, rough, or has multiple layers, it’s probably cassia bark, a common substitute.
3. Powdered spices: Sprinkle some powdered spices on the surface of the water. Adulterated spices mixed with sawdust will float, while will settle down slowly. You can also add a few drops of iodine to the spice powder. If it turns blue, the powder contains starch, another sign of adulteration.
4. Cloves: Place your cloves in water. Pure cloves will sink due to their natural oil content, but exhausted cloves — those that have had their oils removed — will float.
5. Saffron: Fake saffron is often made by colouring maize cobs. To test, rub a few strands between your fingers. Fake saffron will break easily and leave a strong colour on your fingers, while pure saffron remains firm and leaves little to no colour.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
These counterfeit products were being made using ingredients like rotten leaves, spoiled rice and millets, wood dust, chilli heads, and even acids and oils. The seizure serves as a stark reminder of the , putting the health and safety of consumers at risk.
As food adulteration becomes a growing concern, it’s essential to know how to protect yourself. It’s not just about poor-quality spices; food adulteration can be a serious health hazard. Knowing how to spot fake spices is important in and substandard products.
Here are a few simple ways in which you can test the purity of common spices, right at home:
1. Whole turmeric: To check if your turmeric is pure, drop a piece into a glass of water. If the water turns yellow, it means the turmeric is likely adulterated with harmful lead chromate. Pure turmeric will not change the colour of the water.
2. Cinnamon: Authentic cinnamon is a thin, single-layer bark that can easily be rolled around a pencil. If your cinnamon is thick, rough, or has multiple layers, it’s probably cassia bark, a common substitute.
3. Powdered spices: Sprinkle some powdered spices on the surface of the water. Adulterated spices mixed with sawdust will float, while will settle down slowly. You can also add a few drops of iodine to the spice powder. If it turns blue, the powder contains starch, another sign of adulteration.
4. Cloves: Place your cloves in water. Pure cloves will sink due to their natural oil content, but exhausted cloves — those that have had their oils removed — will float.
5. Saffron: Fake saffron is often made by colouring maize cobs. To test, rub a few strands between your fingers. Fake saffron will break easily and leave a strong colour on your fingers, while pure saffron remains firm and leaves little to no colour.
Edited by Pranita Bhat