Check your spices for adulteration

摘要

Food adulteration is the act of adding or mixing something inferior, harmful, useless and unnecessary substances to food. The adulterants used are so similar to the natural foodstuffs that it becomes very difficult for the common man to detect them. Contamination/adulteration in food is normally done either for financial gain or due to carelessness and lack in proper hygienic condition of processing, storing, transportation and marketing. This ultimately results in the consumer being either cheated of his money's worth or often becomes victim of diseases. Spices or masalas add taste and flavor to the food and also help in digestion. Some spices like turmeric, have an antiseptic effect on the body. But what if these are mixed with dangerous dye, brick powder, crushed rock, talc stone and even horse dung. Inviting disease rather than good health So, it is very important for the consumer to know the common adulterants in spices and their effect on health.