Chemistry Investigatory Project

Study of adulteration in food-stuff

Student Name:
Grade: 12
Roll number:
Academic Year: 2023-2024
Acknowledgment

I sincerely thank Ms. Jyothi ma’am for giving me the opportunity to do this investigatory project
in Chemistry. I would also like to thank my chemistry teacher Mr. Suman G.V sir for his constant
guidance, clear instructions, and support in the completion of my project.

I would like to express my special thanks to Rajesh sir and other departments who helped me
directly or indirectly in the completion of my project. Finally, yet importantly, I would like to
express my heartfelt thanks to my parents and my classmates for their constant support, help and
wishes for the successful completion of this project.

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 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr/Ms ____________________________ has

successfully completed his/her project on the topic______________________

in ______________________ and submitted for All India Senior Secondary

Practical Examination held for the academic year 2021-22.

School : THE SAMHITA ACADEMY, BANGALORE

Class : XII

Roll No : __________________________

Date of Submission : __________________________

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Principal Seal

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 INDEX

Sno Topics Page

1. Introduction 04

2. Objective 05

3. Experiment 1 06

4. Experiment 2 08

5. Experiment 3 10

6. Result 13

7. Journal 14

8. Bibliography 15

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INTRODUCTION

In the past few decades, adulteration of food has become one of the serious problems.
Consumption of adulterated food causes serious diseases like cancer, diarrhea, asthma, ulcers etc.
Majority of adulterants used by the shopkeepers are cheap substitutes easily available. For
example, adulterants in fats, oils and butter are paraffin wax, castor oil and hydrocarbons. Red
chili powder is mixed with brick powder and pepper is mixed with dried papaya seeds. These
adulterants can be easily identified by simple chemical tests.

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OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT

The aim of this project is to study some of the common food adulterants present in different
food-stuffs.

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EXPERIMENT 1

AIM:
To detect the presence of adulterants in fat, oil and butter.

REQUIREMENTS: Test tube, conc. HCl, furfural, acetic anhydride, conc. H₂SO₄, acetic acid,
conc. HNO₃

PROCEDURE:

Common adulterants present in ghee and oil are paraffin wax, hydrocarbons, dyes and argemone
of These are detected as follows:
.
(i) Adulteration of dyes in fat

Heat 1 ml of fat with a mixture of 1 ml of conc. sulphuric acid and 4 ml of acetic acid
Appearance of pink or red color indicates presence of dye in fat.

(ii) Adulteration of argemone oil in edible oils

To a small amount of oil in a test tube, add a few drops of conc. HNO3, and shake. Appearance of
red in color in the acid layer indicates the presence of argemone oil.

Sno substance observation inference

1 Desi Ghee red color appeared adulterated with dyes

2 Desi Ghee red color appeared adulterated with

argemone oil

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EXPERIMENT 2

AIM:To detect the presence of adulterants in sugar.

REQUIREMENTS:
Test tubes, conc H2SO4, alcoholic solution of a-naphthol and dil HCI.

PROCEDURE:

sugar is usually contaminated with washing soda and other insoluble substances which are
detected as follows:

(1) Adulteration of various insoluble substances in sugar

Take a small amount of sugar in a test tube and shake it with little water. Pure sugar dissolves
in water but insoluble impurities do not dissolve.

(ii) Adulteration of chalk powder, washing soda in sugar

To a small amount of sugar in a test tube, add a few drops of dil. HCl. Brisk effervescence of
CO2, shows the presence of chalk powder or washing soda in the given sample of sugar.

Sno Substance Observation inference

1 Sugar The solid completely Not adulterated with

dissolves in water insoluble impurities

2 Sugar No effervescence Not adulterated

of CO2 With chalk powder
and washing soda

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EXPERIMENT 3

AIM: To detect the presence of adulterants in samples of chili powder, turmeric powder pepper.

REQUIREMENTS:
Test tubes, conc. HCl, dil. HNO, and KI solution.

PROCEDURE:

Common adulterants present in chili powder, turmeric powder and pepper are red coloured lead
salts, yellow lead salts and dried papaya seeds respectively. They are detected as follows:

(i) Adulteration of red lead salts in chili powder

To a sample of chili powder add dil. HNO3. Filter the solution and add 2 drops of potassium
iodide solution to the filtrate. Appearance of yellow ppt. indicates the presence of lead salts in
chili powder.

(ii) Adulteration of yellow lead salts to turmeric powder

To a sample of turmeric powder add conc. HCl. Appearance of magenta color shows the
presence of yellow oxides of lead in turmeric powder.

(iii) Adulteration of brick powder in red chili powder

Add a small amount of given red chili powder in a beaker containing water. Brick powder settles
at the bottom while pure chili powder floats over water.

(iv) Adulteration of dried papaya seeds in pepper

Add a small amount of pepper to a beaker containing water and stir with a glass rod. Dried
papaya seeds being lighter float over water while pure pepper settles at the bottom.

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Sno. substance observation inference

1 Chili powder The brick powder The chili powder was

settled down adulterated with brick
powder

2 Turmeric powder Appearance of The turmeric powder

magenta color was was adulterated with
seen yellow oxides

3 pepper The papaya seeds The pepper was

were floating adulterated by papaya
seeds

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Result:-

Sno Substance Adulterated / pure

1 Desi ghee Adulterated with argemone oil and dyes

2 sugar Pure

3 Chili powder Adulterated with brick powder

4 Turmeric powder Adulterated with yellow oxides

5 pepper Adulterated with papaya seeds

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Journal:

Making First draft - 25th May 2023

Performing the project - 17th,18th August 2023

Compiling Final Draft - 4th November 2023

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Bibliography:-

Ncert lab manual Laxmi Publications

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