Paneer and Khoya among 168 unsafe food items in Delhi/NCR and how to check adulteration

Eating out is a leisurely activity that we all wish to enjoy to the core. From chaat and samosa to kebab and shikanji, there are a plethora of options to explore. But what if you learned that many of these food items are safe for human consumption? Well, this is true, and this came to light recently when data sourced from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that there are a total of 168 samples of food products collected from various eateries in Noida that were found to be unsafe for human consumption.

The data also reveals that of all those, there were 47 samples of paneer and khoya, and a fine of Rs 3.4 crore was levied on shops and eateries. In 2023, FDA officials collected around 846 samples from food and milk shops in the city. The data further states that around 226 food samples were found to be substandard, 168 were unsafe, and 89 were misbranded.

Also Read: How to check mawa or khoya adulteration in 4 easy steps

It is also stated in the report that a known brand was fined Rs. 3.5 lakh for using substandard cheese and red chili flakes.

What was the paneer made of?
The investigation team revealed that the manufacturing units make paneer using milk powder, palmolein oil, acetic acid, and an emulsifier named glyceryl monostearate.

In 2020, the Food Standards and Safety Authority (FSSAI) shared a series of videos on how to check for food adulteration at home. As per the same series, one of the ways to test khoya at home is to take a teaspoon of khoya from the packet you have bought from the market and add it to a cup of hot water. Now, add a little bit of iodine in the cup. If the khoya turns blue after dropping iodine in it, then it has been adulterated using starch. If not, it is pure and fit to use.

Another method uses sulfuric acid to test the presence of chemicals like formalin, which is used as a preservative in milk or khoya. Just take a small milk or khoya sample in a beaker and add some concentrated sulfuric acid to it. If there is a violet-colored formation in the sample, then it might be adulterated.

This method will help you test the purity of mawa at the time of the purchase itself. Pure and fresh mawa has an oily and grainy texture. It tastes a bit sweet and leaves a trail of grease, when rubbed on your palm. Just take some mawa before purchasing it and rub it on your palm. If it has the above characteristics, it is pure. You can also taste-test it to make sure there is no odd flavour in it.

FSSAI's milk adulteration test
Another series of videos talks about how to check for milk adulteration at home. Take a look at the details.

Water: To check the use of water in milk, all you have to do is put a drop of milk on a polished, slanting surface, and if the drop of milk flows slowly, leaving a white trail behind it, then it is pure. Here, milk adulterated with water will flow immediately without leaving a mark.

Starch: Add a few drops of tincture of iodine or iodine solution. The formation of a blue color indicates the presence of starch.

Urea: Add a teaspoon of milk in a test tube, then add half a teaspoon of soybean or arhar powder. Mix up the contents thoroughly by shaking the test tube. After 5 minutes, dip a red litmus paper after half a minute. A change in color from red to blue indicates the presence of urea in milk.

How to check starch in paneer
Boil some paneer in water, cool, and add a few drops of iodine solution. The formation of blue colour indicates the presence of starch in paneer.

Final words
Well, the data has surely left a doubt in our minds about eating out. But, there is always a way out, and these above-mentioned hacks can surely help assure the quality check on foods we order at home. If you also know any other hack to try, share with us in the comment section.




Thumb and Embed Images Courtesy: istock