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
- Chalk powder (sugar, pithi sugar, jaggery) — Bulking material; not a permitted ingredient.
- Urea (sugar) — Not a permitted ingredient for this food. The health effect depends on the substance and the amount; do not assume it is harmless.
- Aluminium leaf passed off as silver leaf (vark) — Misrepresents the decoration as edible silver.
- Artificial sweetener used in sweetmeats — Must be declared if used; undeclared use is misleading.
Warning signs
- Sugar or jaggery that leaves a white sediment in water
- Smell of ammonia when sugar is rubbed on the palm or dissolved in water (DART lists this as indicating urea)
- Silver leaf that only tears into shreds, or burns to grey ash
- Lingering sweetness and a bitter after-taste in sweetmeats (DART sensory check)
Home checks
- Chalk in sugar or jaggery: Dissolve about 10 g of sample in a transparent glass of water. If chalk has been mixed in, it settles at the bottom. (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. Natural impurities in jaggery may also settle.)
- Aluminium in silver leaf: Crush a portion between two fingers: real silver leaf crumbles to powder, aluminium leaf breaks into shreds. If you burn a ball of the leaf, silver leaves glistening balls and aluminium leaves grey ash. (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. Burning requires caution.)
- Urea in sugar (sensory): Rub a little sugar on your palm and smell it, or dissolve a small amount in water. A smell of ammonia indicates urea according to DART. (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.)
- Artificial sweetener in sweetmeats (sensory): Taste a very small quantity. DART notes a lingering sweetness and bitter after-taste suggests artificial sweetener, applicable where it is used in addition to sugar. (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. Taste is subjective; avoid tasting anything you suspect is spoiled.)
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.