Most Common Food Adulteration

Argemone oil Mineral oil Karanja oil Castor oil Yellow aniline dyes Tapioca starch Brick powder, sawdust Artificial colours Coal tar dye Colour and saccharin Aluminium leaves

The most commonly adulterated foods include milk and milk products, atta (wheat flour), dal (pulses), oils (all cooking oils such as mustard oil and olive oil), ghee, cereals, spices, pulses, coffee, honey, etc. The table here highlights dangerous adulterants found commonly in food stuff. Foreign resins like galbanum, colophony resin Non-permitted coal tar dye (metanil yellow) Washing soda, chalk powder Molasses sugar (sugar plus water) Cloves from which volatile oil has been extracted Harmful Effects Lathyrism cancer Used tea leaves processed and coloured Liver disorder Tamarind seed, date seed powder Diarrhoea Unhygienic water and starch Stomach disorder Ergot (a fungus containing poisonous substance) Chalk powder Papaya seeds and light berries Argemone seeds Poisonous to health Stomach disorder Stomach, liver problems Epidemic dropsy and glaucoma Loss of eyesight, heart diseases, tumour Damage to liver, carcinogenic effects Heart problems, liver damage Stomach problem Dysentery Carcinogenic Stomach disorder Stomach problems Cancer Metanil yellow is toxic and carcinogenic Vomiting, diarrhoea Stomach pain, ulcer Cancer Stomach disorder Stomach disorder Economic benefits