From synthetic fibre to bad quality additives, these days FMCG brands are deteriorating the quality of food items to survive tough market competition.
The ingredients mentioned on the pack hardly hint about the dangers that may be lurking inside those glossy packets in shape of chemical laced ingredients.
To a large extent the demand and supply chain is also responsible for the grimy game.
We agree that as a consumer you cannot stop the game, but you can definitely take precautions to protect your health.
When you are spending an amount in buying a product, as a consumer, you have every right to get the best quality.
But how do you ensure that what you are buying is actually free from adulteration and may not lead to chemical or food poisoning?
Below mentioned are a few food items along with easy tricks that can help you test their quality in no time.
These tricks can be quickly carried at home and you can protect yourself and your loved ones from consuming such sub-standard products.
Try it today.
1. Butter
In the very first view you might not be able to differentiate between butter and margarine. Margarine is a butter substitute made from vegetable oils or animal fats and is not good for the human body. Follow the below mentioned trick to differentiate between the two.
Trick: Take a piece of butter and place it into a container filled with boiling water. If the butter melts quickly, forming a layer on the surface, it is pure. If not, it will turn into pieces and it is nothing but margarine. (Image courtesy: Pixabay)
2. Cottage cheese
If you don’t know how to judge whether the cottage cheese available in the market is real or not, then follow the below mentioned trick.
Trick: Before consuming it, add a few drops of iodine, and mix well. If the mixture turns blue then it is definitely not cottage cheese. (Image courtesy: Pixabay)
3. Milk
If you think that the packet of milk bought from the supermarket is fresh and pure, you are highly mistaken. There are several dairy brands that adulterate milk.
Trick: The quick way to check the purity of milk is to mix it with spirit in a ratio of 1:2. If the flakes appear in 3-4 seconds the milk is pure, if not then avoid using such milk.
4. Rice
Plastic rice from China has secretly made its way into the Indian food market. Since it almost looks like rice, it is difficult to distinguish it from real rice. Plastic rice is highly toxic.
Trick: The easiest way to check the authenticity is to take a spoonful of rice, and set it on fire. The fake one will have smell of plastic and have black smoke too. (Image courtesy: Pixabay)
5. Mayo
Are you a mayo lover? If yes, then you must know to check its purity as it is often adulterated with harmful starch that is not good for your digestive tract.
Trick: Ideally, it should have egg powder. If the mayo becomes dark in colour after adding iodine in it that means it has starch in it.
6. Honey
Gone are the days when we used to get freshly extracted honey from the honey comb. These days the brands produce in bulk and add chalk or starch to increase the quantity..
Trick: You can check the authenticity by dissolving a spoonful of honey in water along with a few drops of acetic acid. If it starts to bubble and hiss, then the honey is not pure.
7. Eggs
Eggs can perish very easily and you might not get to know about it.
Trick: Take a jar of cold water and place an egg inside it. If the egg settles down horizontally, then it is fresh, and if the egg floats at the top of the jar, it is not meant to be used.
8. Wine
If you think you are a wine connoisseur, then you must know this trick to judge the quality of wine, because these days brands are meeting the demands via fake powdered wine that are harmful for human digestive system.
Trick: To check the quality of wine, take a tablespoon of baking soda, and pour some wine over it. If the mixture turns blue, the wine is pure, and if the mixture does not change color it has powdered wine mixture.
