To test the presence of vanaspati ghee and starchy matter in given sample of pure ghee

or butter.
THEORY:
Starchy matter can be dectected with iodine. Iodine forms a blue coloured complex with
starch. Vanaspati ghee gives pink colour with furfural.
APPARATUS : Test tubes, test-tube stand, test tube holder.
CHEMICALS : Iodine or tincture of iodine solution, hydrochloric acid, sugar, given sample
of ghee or butter.
PROCEDURE:
(a) Detection of starchy matter. Take about 0.5 g of the given ghee or butter in a test-tube.
Add about one mL of water to it and boil. Cool and add a drop of iodine or tincture of iodine
solution. Appearance of blue colour indicates presence of starchy matter in the sample.
(b) Detection ofvanaspati. Take about 0.5 g of the given sample of ghee or butter in a test
tube. Heat the tube gently so that the ghee melts and add a little sugar and hydrochloric acid
to it. Shake the contents for five minutes. Presence of pink colour in the aqueous layer is
indication of vanaspati ghee in the sample.
Comment: Better results can be obtained by using 2% alcoholic solution of furfural in place
of sugar.

To test the purity of given sample of oil or fat.

THEORY:
Oils and fats are mostly adulterated with
(i) Dyes to improve the colour of the material.
(ii) Paraffin wax or hydrocarbons to increase the weights of products (vegetable ghee),
thereby increasing the profit.
(iii) Cheap varieties of similar materials, e.g., mustard oil is adulterated with argemone oil.
The presence of these in oils or fats can be detected by exploiting their characteristic
property.
APPARATUS : Test tubes and test tube stand.
CHEMICALS : Hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, light petroleum, sulphuric acid, glacial acetic
acid and acetic anhydride.
PROCEDURE:
(a) Detection of dyes in oils and fats :
(i) Take 2 g of fat in a test-tube. Add 5 mL of light petroleum to avoid its solidification and
one mL of hydrochloric acid to it. Shake the tube thoroughly and allow to stand for some
time. Appearance of pink colour in the lower layer will indicate the presence of dyes.
(ii) Mix one mL (1 gm) of the fat with one ml of mixture of concentrated sulphuric acid and
glacial acetic acid (in 1 : 4 ratio) and heat the mixture nearly to boiling. Pink or reddish
colour of the solution will indicate presence of dyes.
(b) Detection of paraffin wax and hydrocarbons. Heat small amount of the unsaponifiable
matter of oils with acetic anhydride carefully. If small droplets of oil will be found floating
on the surface of unused acetic anhydride, then the oil is surely adulterated with paraffin wax
or hydrocarbon.
(c) Detection of argemone oil. Take about 5 mL of the oil in a test tube. Add few drops of
cone, nitric acid into it and shake carefully. Orange or red colour indicates the presence of
argemone oil.
(d) Detection of mineral oil. Take about 2 mL of the oil in test-tube. Add into it equal amount
of N/2 nitric acid. Now heat the test tube over water bath. Turbidity in the contents of the test
tube indicates presence of mineral oils in the given sample of vegetable oil.
(e) Detection of castor oil. Take about 2 ml of the given sample of vegetable oil in a test tube.

Add to it about 4 mL of light petroleum. Shake the tube to get a clear solution. Now cool the
tube in a ice and salt bath. If the mixture becomes turbid then castor oil must be present in
the given sample of vegetable oil.
Note : (z) Oils catchs fire easily so take care while heating them. Better hold the test-tube
with a test tube holder while heating, (ii) Petroleum is inflammable. So extinguish all flame
while working with it.

To test the presence of adulterant in given sample of sugar.

Common adulterants of sugar are washing soda, chalk powder and semolina. Sugar is soluble
in water. So if any undissolved substance is left on dissolving sugar in water, then it is an
indication of adulteration in it. Washing soda and chalk powder, both give effervescence with
dil. HC1. Hence their presence in the sugar sample can be detected by treating small amount
of sugar with dil. HC1.
APPARATUS : Test tubes and test tube stand.
CHEMICALS: Dilute hydrochloric acid and distilled water.
PROCEDURE:
(a) Take about one gram of the sugar sample in a test tube and add about 5 mL of water into
it. Shake the contents of the tube for about 4-5 mintues. Presence of undissolved substance
indicates adulteration in the sugar.
(b) Take about one gram of the sugar sample in a clean and dry test tube. Add to it about 2
mL of dilute hydrochloric acid. Effervescence on addition of acid indicates the presence of
chalk or washing powder in the sugar.
Note. Powder the sugar before testing its solubility in water.

To find out the possibility of adulteration in a given sample of chilli powder.

THEORY:
Red chilhTpowder is adulterated with either colours or brick powder. Brick powder being
heavier than chilli powder, settles at bottom on dissolving it in a glass of water. If colour has
been added to the chilli powder, then water becomes coloured.
APPARATUS : One glass or beaker and a
glass rod. CHEMICAL : Water, chilli
powder. PROCEDURE:
Add small amount of the given chilli powder in a glass full of water. Stir the contents with a
glass rod for a minute and wait for 2-3 minutes. Settling of brick powder at bottom and
appearance of red colour indicates adulteration in a sample.

To find out whether the given sample of turmeric powder is pure or not.
THEORY : Yellow chalk powder, a common adulterant of the turmeric powder gives
effervescence with dil. hydrochloric acid.
APPARATUS : Test tubes and test tube stand.
CHEMICALS : Dilute hydrochloric acid and water.
PROCEDURE:
(a) Take about 0.5 g of the powdered sample in a test-tube. Add to it about one ml of dil.
hydrochloric acid. Effervescence indicates the presence of chalk powder in the sample.
(b) Dilute the contents of the tube with 25-30 mL of water. Disappearance of the violet colour formed
previously indicates the purity of turmeric powder. But if violet colour first formed with dil. HC1 persist's,
then it is contaminated with yellow dye.

Types of food

Common Adulterant

How to detect

1. Desi ghee and butter

Vanaspati, powdered sweet

potato, starchy matter.

Add a little sugar and HC1 to small amount

2. Mustard oil

Argemone oil.

To about 5 mL of the oil, add few drops of cone.

HN03 and shake carefully, orange to red colour
indicates the presence of argemone oil.

3. Sugar

Washing soda or chalk

powder.

4. Salt

Chalk powder.

5. Red chillies powder

Brick powder or colours.

Add about 2 mL of dil. HC1 to a small amount of

the sample. Effervescence on addition of acid
shows the presence of chalk or washing soda in the
sugar sample.
Add a little salt to water. Chalk powder will settle
down.
Add small amount of the sample in a glass full of
water. Stir the contents and wait for 2 minutes.
Brick powder will settle at bottom. Appearance of
red colour in water indicates colour present in the
sample.

6. Pepper

Dried papaya seeds.

Add small amount of the sample in a glass full of

water.
Dried 'papaya' seeds float over water while the
pure pepper seeds settle down.

7. Turmeric powder

Yellow chalk powder.

Add - one mL. dil. HC1 to small amount of the

sample. Effervescence indicates the presence of
chalk powder in the sample.

8. Tea

Used tea leaves or wooden

after
chipscolouring.

Rub small amount of the sample between

9. Rice

Stone chips resembling rice.

Add rice to a glass full of water. Stone chips will

settle down at the bottom first.

10. Arhar and gram dal

Khesari dal.

Add a little hydrochloric acid in the sample and

heat. Pink colour indicates the presence of Khesari
dal.

of melted ghee or butter and shake it for five

minutes. Presence of pink colour in the aqueous
layer is indication of vanaspati in the sample.
Add about 2 mL of water in ghee or butter and
boil. Add a drop of iodine or tincture of iodine after
cooling. Appearance of blue colour indicates
presence of starchy matter in the sample.

folds of a moistened cloth. IS cloth becomes

coloured, then some dye is present in the sample.