Are your spices adulterated? Check with these simple tests

Take a close look at the spices in your kitchen. Is the clove shrunk and too small? It could be adulterated. Here are easy tests for you to ensure that your spices are pure.

Spices are a must have in every Indian kitchen and no meal is complete without them. You probably end up buying a lot of whole spices and powder from your local baniya.If branded and packaged spices are not available, you tend to buy loosely sold packets. This increases the risk of you consuming adulterated spices. Whole spices are adulterated with similar looking substances like tiny stones, pebbles, grass seeds, etc. Also most spices are sun-dried in the open. which makes them more prone to contamination. Powdered spices, on the other hand, are contaminated with artificial colours, chalk powder, etc., which increases their bulk and also enhances their colour.

Adulterated food is very harmful and food additives like artificial colours, can cause various diseases like skin allergies. But adulterated spices can easily be distinguished from pure ones by performing these simple tests:

Food product	Adulterant	Test to check adulteration
Whole spices	Dust, pebble, straw, weed seeds, damaged grain, insects, rodent excreta, hair, etc.	Visual examination can help you distinguish between pure and impure form.
Black pepper	Papaya seeds	On visual examination you will find that papaya seeds are shrunken and oval in shape. They are greenish or brownish black in colour.
Cloves	Exhausted cloves (All the oil is extracted from them.)	The small size and shrunken appearance of cloves make them easy to distinguish. Also, the smell is less pungent as compared to true cloves.
Mustard seeds	Argemone seed	On close observation they are easy to separate as, mustard seeds have a smooth appearance, whereas argemone seeds have a grainy and rough surface and are black in colour. You can also press the mustard seed. Genuine mustard seeds have a yellow core, whereas argemone seeds have a white core.
Powdered spices	Added starch (Not applicable to turmeric.)	Add a drop of iodine solution (easily available in medical stores or the one from your first-aid box). Formation of blue colour indicates adulteration.
	Table salt	Tasting the spice will help you distinguish between adulterated and pure spices.
Turmeric powder	Metanil yellow	Take 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder in a test tube, add 3 ml alcohol to it and shake vigorously. Add 10 drops of hydrochloric acid to it. Appearance of pink colour indicates presence of this chemical.
	Chalk powder or yellow soap stone powder	Add some dilute hydrochloric acid, if it effervesces; chalk powder or yellow soap stone powder is present.
Turmeric whole	Lead chromate (Gives a bright appearance to the spice)	Add a piece of whole turmeric to water. If the water turns yellow, it indicates adulteration with lead chromate.
Chilli powder	Brick powder, salt powder or talc powder	Add a tsp of chilli powder to a glass of water. If it is artificially coloured, the water will change its colour.
		Rub some chilli powder at the bottom of a glass. If any grittiness is felt, it indicates the presence of brick powder/sand.
	Artificial colours	Sprinkle some chilli powder on a glass of water. Artificial colours will leave a coloured streak.
Asafoetida (Hing)	Soap stone or other earthy material	Add some water to the sample and shake it vigorously. Earthy material or soap stone will settle at the bottom.
	Starch	Add a drop of iodine solution (easily available in medical stores or the one from your first-aid box). Formation of blue colour indicates adulteration.
Cinnamon	Cassia bark	Cinnamon bark is very thin and can be easily rolled around a pencil or a pen and also have a distinct smell. Cassia barks are tougher and thick.
Cumin seeds	Grass sees coloured with charcoal dust	Rub the cumin seeds on your palms. Colouration of your palms indicate adulteration.
Saffron	Dried tendrils of maize cob (Artificial saffron is prepared by drying tendrils of maize cob and colouring them with food colour)	Try breaking a saffron strand. Genuine saffron does not break on pressing but artificial saffron easily crumbles under pressure. Also, try dissolving saffron in water, pure saffron will keep on giving colour until it completely dissolves.These tests are easy to perform and do not require chemicals other than those easily available. But if you find that your product is adulterated you can also get it analysed by a lab analyst at your own expense. For consumer complaints you can reach out to the national consumer helpline at their toll free helpline: 1800-111-4000. You can visit their helpline at www.nationalconsumerhelpline.in. Also, you can contact your local consumer courts or Food and Drug Administration in your city.

There are provisions to seek compensation under the Prevention of Food Adulteration act (PFA), 1954, where you can seek compensation by filing complaints in National Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (NCDRF), if you seek compensation of Rs. 1 crore and above, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (SCDRF)(Rs. 20 Lakh and above but below Rs. 1 Crore ) and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF) (Rs. 20 Lakh or below).

Although while filing a complaint you will also have to inform the vendor against whom you are filing it. You may also like to check if your milk and milk products are adulterated.