Seven Adulterated Spices Most Likely in Your Kitchen Now

BY ADMIN 2 COMMENTS

Youve discovered that changing your lifestyle even just a little has had a
positive effect on you and youve even gotten over the fact that your
morning OJ or apple juice isnt what you thought it was. Perhaps now youve
gotten a handy electric citrus press and realized that the few minutes to do it
the traditional way, really isnt such a drag after all. And lately youve become
increasingly aware of food fraud.

But are the common spices in your cupboard also what you hoped they were
when you bought them?

When one researches deeper into the source of the adulteration, one should
take into account that the distributors themselves who supply the shops are
both middlemen and often are not aware of suppliers fraud. The major
companies often source their spices from India, Mexico or China, and it is THEY
who know what they are repackaging and selling as brand x. Adulteration is
done to add weight to a product or enhance its color.

Recently, a major Indian supplier was caught and had to destroy tons of
turmeric for dangerous adulteration using metanil yellow (not lethal but
illegal) and red oxide of lead the later being highly carcinogenic.. The UK
banned the import of red chili powder (cayenne powder) because
the extremely carcinogenic dye Sudan 1 was used to impart a deep red.

NCDEX, a company in India, was ordered to destroy 900 tons of black

pepper contaminated with mineral oil. India is not the only supplier of pepper
with Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Caribic as well as Malaysia,
Madagascar and China supplying Europe and America.

The problem with adulterated spice is not so much using the small amounts
we do use now and again when cooking but using certain spices such
as turmeric in higher doses daily for health maintenance or for medicinal
doses. These can vary from a half a teaspoon to a tablespoon daily.

Here are seven common spices you may have in your spice shelf:

Cayenne Powder Packing the heat between 30,000 50,000 units on the
Scoville scale, cayenne is used in several Asian cuisines such as Korean and
Szechuan but also in Mexican. The powder may be adulterated with sawdust,
red oxide of lead, and dangerous coloring. Cayenne powder is the same as red
pepper or ground chilies (not to be confused with that American favorite Chili
Powder which is a blend of ingredients for the famous Chili con Carne dish).

How to test: Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon onto a glass of water. The
cayenne will slowly sink, not staining the water. The color added cayenne
will form tendrils of red color as it sinks somewhat faster, eventually
coloring the water red. Sawdust will remain floating.

Solution: Use a few whole cayenne (chili) peppers or the flakes instead.
Or test samples of powdered cayenne.

Cumin Powder A staple in Mexican, Near and Middle Eastern cuisines, it can
be mixed with sawdust.

How to test: Take a small amount 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon and sprinkle on a
glass of water. The spice will sink and the sawdust will float.

Solution: Buy a small amount from a reputable dealer and test. Better
still is to purchase the whole seed and grind as needed either in a
designated-for-spice electric coffee mill for larger amounts or use a good
pepper mill with an adjustable setting for fine.

Coriander Powder Very common in Indian curries and some European

baking this too may be mixed with sawdust.

How to test: See cumin.

Solution: See cumin.

Pepper Ahh, pepper! How can one adulterate this ubiquitous and besides
salt most used seasoning in Western cooking? Easily. Unscrupulous suppliers
grind it with papaya seed which is rather tasteless and even add a filler such
as sawdust. Whole pepper is mixed with papaya seeds which are very similar
in size and color but are relatively tasteless once dried.

How to test: Take a small sample of peppercorns and drop them into a
glass of water. The peppercorns will drop to the bottom and the papaya
seeds will float. For ground pepper, the test is similar. If matter such as
sawdust or ground papaya seeds are present, they will float.
 Solution: Buy a small amount from a reliable source and test. Use a
good pepper mill. I know this is beginning to sound like a recording set on
loop, but it cannot be repeated enough.

Saffron By weight, the most expensive spice in the world and at one time
more costly than gold. Sold in small plastic mini containers, they can be made
of colored gelatine strands or stretched with dyed maize filaments (corn silk).
Price is a good indicator. Saffron, when added into a cooking dish that has a fat
or oil such as olive oil in it, will barely release its color and typical scent. This is
because saffron is water soluble. Cooks who know and want to extract the
maximum possible without using too much of this precious spice, let it sit a
good 15 minutes first in a hot, fat free liquid such a broth or water before
adding it and remaining strands to whatever being cooked. Gelatine strands
will dissolve quickly in most any liquid, hot or cold. And there is no scent.

How to test: Drop a few strands into a little cold water. If you see color
quickly and the strands when rubbed a little between the fingers feel a little
gummy, it is gelatine. Real saffron will continue to release its color into the
water.

Solution: Invest in the real stuff and when you want that wonderful
reddish yellow color. Use it sparingly and only in dishes where its aroma and
unique color is appreciated, such as traditional dishes of risotto or paella. If
you need a little yellow coloring, try a little turmericbut sparingly. Too
much of it will impart a musky, earthy scent and flavor and may shift the
anticipated outcome.

Turmeric That indispensable spice in Indian and many Asian cuisines is often
stretched with artificial coloring and fillers such as corn flour (starch) yellow
colored talk or sawdust, lead chromite (used in paint), or melanil yellow . This
is, of course annoying but it is problematic for those, such as I that take it
for its health benefits in large quantities beyond amounts that one uses
in the occasional curry.

How to test: In a small container such as a shot glass or mini bowl,

place a small amount of turmeric. Add a little alcohol stir well or cover well
and shake (test tubes are good for this). Then add good shot of an acid
such as vinegar. If it turns pink or violet, it has been adulterated.

Solution: Buy from a reliable sourcemost likely this will not be the local
supermarket. Buy organic whenever possible and test anyway.
Salt Yes. Even salt. Salt, how it is mined and what really is sea salt is
worth an article of its own and is beyond the scope of this article. Salt can be
mixed with talc and other impurities depending on the mining method. Road
salt has been sold as table salt in some cases in both the US and Europe. Be
aware that ALL salt is sea salt. Even the deep mined salt is the result of
eons and eons of continental shift, resulting in pockets of evaporated or
absorbed sea water leaving behind natural salt. Selling common heavily
processed salt and re-introducing iodine into it and selling it for Sea Salt serves
only to up the price. It IS sea salt anyway even though mined with bulldozers
and not through a sea water evaporation process. Point served and period.

How to test: In a small glass, sprinkle a quarter teaspoon on the

surface and wait a few minutes. If the water turns cloudy and remains so,
talc has been added. Even larger grains of salt will eventually dissolve on
their own, however, if impurities have been added, a sediment on the
bottom will be observed.

Solution: Again, buy from a reliable source and consider purchasing

purpose dedicated salt. Use the cheap supermarket salt (almost all
beneficial properties processed out leaving nearly pure concentrated
sodium chloride) for salting your pasta water. Use salt derived from salt
water evaporation, such as Celtic Sea Salt for that finishing touch on your
salads, meats and as a table salt in general. The flavor difference is
immense. Pure sodium chloride not only is not healthy and is at
the core of the no-salt/low-salt hysteria but small amounts seriously
diluted in the pasta water is another thing. Celtic Sea Salt, Maldon Salt or
any other salt of that type does not make food taste salty. It brings out the
natural flavor of the dish and is worth the price and your health. Besides,
pots of it make great and appreciated presents!

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Adulterated Spices

In a country where official systems set for food safety and prevention are
constantly outdone by a booming adulteration business, the onus of
safeguarding one's family against contaminaed food, unfortunately falls on
citizens themselves. From loose packed ground spices, to wet produce such as
milk, khoya, paneer, to dry spices and grains, almost everything you can buy
has a potential of being adulterated, if purchased from an unauthorized vendor
in a box unmarked and tested by either Agmark or ISI. While some of these
could be less harmful, such as water or bran, chemicals and colouring agents
such as Metanil Yellow, Lead Chromate, Sudan Red III, are known to be
carcinogenic. The chairman of the Consumer Guidence Society of India, Dr
Sitaram Dixit lists a few commonly used food items, and suggests simple
home tests to check for their most common adulterants. In case the test asks
for the presence of an acid, you could use common toilet-cleaning acid, or
easily found citric acid or even lemon juice.

1 Turmeric, dals and pulses such as moong or channa

Adulterant
Metanil Yellow and Kesari Dal (Added to enhance the yellow colour of a food
substance)
Test
Dissolve half a spoon full of besan or turmeric powder in 20 ml of lukewarm
water. Add a few drops of hydrochloric acid or any commonly available acid at
home. If the water turns pink, violet or purple, it shows the presence of Metanil
yellow.
Harmful effects
It's highly carcinogenic and if consumed over a continuous period of time it
can also cause stomach disorders.

2. Green chillies, green peas and other vegetables

Adulterant
Malachite Green (To accentuate the bright, glowing green colour of the
vegetable)
Test
Take a small portion of the sample and place it over a moistened white blotting
paper. Coloured impressions on the blotting paper indicate the presence of
Malachite green.
Harmful effects
It's a coloured dye that has proven to be carcinogenic for humans if consumed
over a long period of time.

3. Mustard seeds and mustard oil

Adulterant
Argemone seeds (used to add bulk and weight)
Test
When pressed or crushed, argemone seeds are white inside and have a rough
outer surface whereas mustard seeds are smooth on the outside and are
yellow on the inside.
Harmful effects
The consumption of these could cause epidemic dropsy and severe glaucoma.
Young children and senior citizens with poor immunity are more susceptible
this.

4. Paneer, khoya, condensed milk and milk

Adulterant
Starch (used to give it a thick, rich texture)
Test
Take a small sample of the product in a test tube, add 20 ml of water and bring
to a boil. Cool to room temperature and add a drop or two of iodine solution. If
the solution turns blue, it marks the presence of starch.
Harmful effects
Unhygienic, unprocessed water and starch can cause stomach disorders.
Starch greatly reduces the nutritional value of the ingredient.

5. Ice cream

Adulterant
Washing powder (used to add a bright white sheen and lightness of flavour)
Test
Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice on the ice cream. If it starts to froth and
bubble, it marks the presence of washing powder.
Harmful effects
It can cause severe stomach and liver disorders

6. Black pepper

Adulterant
Papaya seeds (used to add bulk)
Test
Float the sample in alcohol. Mature black pepper corns will sink where as
papaya seeds will float to the surface.
Harmful effects
Papaya seeds can cause serious liver problems and stomach disorders.

7. Coffee powder
Adulterant
Tamarind seeds, chicory powder (used to add bulk and colour)
Test
Gently sprinkle coffee powder on the surface of water in a glass. The coffee
will float whereas chicory will start to sink within a few seconds. Also, the
falling chicory powder will leave a trail of colour behind due to the large
amounts of caramel it contains.
Harmful effects
These can cause diarrhea, stomach disorders, giddiness and severe joint pains.

Catch the adulterer

According to the directives by the FDA, if a packed product with an ISI or an
AGMARK tests positive for adulteration, you can take the sample to the
Agmark head office on the Tulsi Pipe road, between Matunga Road and Mahim
railway station, and register an official complaint. The agencies then conduct
their own tests, and if confirmed, raid their premises and take legal action
against erring companies.