How to identify and detect food adulteration at home
Siddhartha Jana
A rise in food adulteration makes it crucial to identify fakes in the market, and you can do this at home using expert-verified water tests.
Source: Canva
For black peppercorns, genuine ones usually sink in water, while adulterants may float; however, this test isn't foolproof as some adulterants can also sink, and some peppercorns may float due to trapped air.
Source: Canva
Pure cloves generally float vertically or sink, while adulterated ones may float horizontally due to artificial additives, though this isn't a guaranteed indicator of adulteration as clove shape and trapped air can affect buoyancy.
Source: Canva
Pure turmeric settles at the bottom of a glass of water, whereas synthetic colorants dissolve in water, making this a mostly reliable test.
Source: Canva
Pure honey settles at the bottom of a glass of water without dissolving quickly, while adulterated honey dissolves or forms layers; a more reliable test is the 'thumb test,' where pure honey holds its shape between the thumb and forefinger.
Source: Canva
Fresh eggs sink and lie flat at the bottom of a cup of water due to small air cells, while older eggs float because of larger air cells, although very cold water might cause even fresh eggs to float.
Source: Canva
Shaking milk with an equal amount of water can indicate detergent adulteration if it forms a dense lather, while pure milk forms a thin foam layer; boiling milk is more reliable, as pure milk curdles and milk with detergent may not.
Source: Canva
These water tests are general indicators and should not be solely relied upon to detect adulteration; if you suspect adulteration, it's best to get the food tested by a professional lab.
Source: Canva
The essential role of zinc in immune health and healing