Detection of Adulteration in Ghee
Objectives:
To acquaint with the problems of adulteration in Ghee and their detection.
Relevant information:
Ghee can be easily admixture with cheap adulteration. This common adulterants are the (i) Vanaspati (hydrogenated fat, (ii) Refined vegetable oils (Deoxidized oils) example – groundnut, coconut, cotton seed oil (iii) animal bodies’ fat. The problem of detecting adulteration of ghee in India in very complicated and needs serious thoughts over it at all levels. Since addition of sesamum oil to vanaspati has been made compulsory. The detection of ghee with vanaspati be detect by using following tow tests. (i) Furfural test (ii) Baudouin test.
Precautions:
Evaluation must be efficient in evaluating the quality of ghee on the basis of physical characteristic.
Material required:
1. Market ghee / samples of ghee
2. Furfural – 2 ml furfural in 100 ml 95 % alcohol
3. Finely powdered cane sugar.
Apparatus:
1. Test tube
2. Test tube stand
Procedure:
Furfural test:
1. Take 100 ml of melted ghee in a test tube.
2. In another test tube mix 0.1 ml of the furfural solution with 10 ml conc. HCL.
3. Mix the melted ghee with the furfural acid solution.
4. Shake well, allow the mix to stand for 10 min. and observe the colour.
5. Appearance of crimson colour indicates the adulteration of ghee with sesamum oil.
Baudoduim test:
1. Mix 0.1 gm of finely powdered canesugar with 10 ml conc Hcl.
2. Add this mixed solution to about 10 ml of melted ghee.
3. Mix thoroughly and allow to stand for 10 min.
4. If crimson colour appears, add 10 ml of water shake and allow to stand for another 10 min.
5. Persistence of crimson colour indicates the presence of sesamum oil.