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Pulses (dal)

DART lists visual checks for khesari dal and chakunda beans, and a check for added colour.

Last verified:
Indicative only, not a lab test
Home checks below can raise suspicion but cannot confirm adulteration. For a conclusive result, use an accredited laboratory — see food testing.

Common adulterants

  • Khesari dal in other dals — Named in DART as an adulterant of whole and split dals.
  • Chakunda beans in pulses — Named in DART as an adulterant of pulses.
  • Added colour — Added colour is not permitted to disguise quality.

Warning signs

  • Grains with an edged, slanting, squarish look mixed among other dal (khesari dal, per DART)
  • Colour coming off in water
  • Stones, insects or webbing

Home checks

  • Khesari dal in dal: Spread a small quantity on a glass plate and look closely. Khesari dal has an edged appearance with a slant on one side and looks squarish. (Indicative only. A household test can give a false positive or false negative, and it cannot tell you the amount present or whether the food meets the legal standard. Only testing by an accredited laboratory confirms adulteration. Requires a trained eye; some natural variation exists.)
  • Chakunda beans in pulses: Spread a small quantity on a glass plate and look closely to separate any chakunda beans. (Indicative only. A household test can give a false positive or false negative, and it cannot tell you the amount present or whether the food meets the legal standard. Only testing by an accredited laboratory confirms adulteration.)
  • Added colour: Add 2 teaspoons of the grain or pulse to a glass of water and mix thoroughly. Pure grains do not leave colour; adulterated ones leave colour immediately. (Indicative only. A household test can give a false positive or false negative, and it cannot tell you the amount present or whether the food meets the legal standard. Only testing by an accredited laboratory confirms adulteration.)

Laboratory testing

To confirm adulteration, a sample must be analysed by a food testing laboratory using standard methods. A purchaser can have food analysed by a Food Analyst for a fee under section 40 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, but must tell the seller at the time of purchase; you can also report to the food safety authority, whose officers draw official samples. See the Food testing page for official lab directories.