Food adulteration is a common and serious problem. Consuming adulterated food can have a range of effects on our health, ranging from short-term diseases to long-term conditions. It can often be challenging to verify whether or not a particular ingredient is adulterated. Fortunately, for some of them, simple tests and DIY methods have been developed. These allow regular consumers to check for themselves whether their store-bought foods are safe to consume or not. One such item is sweet potatoes. These potatoes have a distinctive reddish colour. This may not always be natural and hence, consumers need to beware of tampering.
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The Food and Safety Standards Authority Of India recently shared an easy way to check if sweet potatoes have been adulterated. The video, shared on Instagram, explains a simple hack to find out whether this root vegetable has been adulterated with Rhodamine B. This a chemical dye used for a wide variety of industrial purposes. Ingesting this synthetic colour can pose several health problems. This chemical is used to adulterate ragi (finger millet) too.
How To Check If Sweet Potato Is Adulterated With Rhodamine B
Here are the key steps to follow:
- Dip a cotton ball in some water or vegetable oil.
- Rub this ball on the outer surface of the sweet potato.
- If the cotton ball comes away completely clean (no colour transfer), it means the sweet potato is safe to eat.
- However, if the ball turns reddish-violet after being rubbed, it means the vegetable has been adulterated with Rhodamine B.
Watch the complete video below:
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Before this, the FSSAI had shared a quick way to check if saffron is adulterated. Studies suggest that the high price and limited production of saffron make it a common target for adulteration. Since saffron naturally lends colour to food items it is added to, it can become quite difficult to check for tampering in this case. The video shared by the food authority suggests dropping a few strands of saffron in a glass of hot water. Unadulterated saffron will slowly release colour, while the tampered one will do so quickly. Check out the video here.
The FSSAI has also shared ways to detect adulteration in everyday spices such as black pepper and chilli powder. These tests can also be undertaken at home in just a few minutes and with the help of household objects. Knowing these methods can help you become more mindful of where you're sourcing ingredients from. Find out more here.
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