Adulterated Spices, Toxic Milk: India's Food Safety Crisis Explained
One-fifth of all food samples tested in India fail quality standards. Milk contains detergents. Chilli powder has excess lead. Turmeric has illegal colours. Here is what FSSAI is finding and how to protect your family.
You trust that the turmeric in your kitchen is turmeric. You assume the milk your children drink is milk. You believe the chilli powder in your dal is just dried chillies, ground fine. In a significant number of cases across India, you would be wrong.
India's food adulteration problem is not marginal. It is systemic. In the 2023-24 testing period, over 1.5 lakh food samples were tested nationwide, and roughly one-fifth were found non-conforming, meaning they failed quality standards, were sub-standard, misbranded, or unsafe. This is not a fringe issue. It is one in every five products tested.
The Spice Crisis
Between November 2024 and February 2025, FSSAI pulled more than ten thousand samples of spices across India, revealing excess lead in chilli powder, illegal colours in turmeric, inflated moisture in coriander, and misleading labels on pepper and cardamom. Over 1,500 of 23,000 spice samples failed safety standards. [IndiaLaw, 2025]
Turmeric: Frequently adulterated with metanil yellow, a non-permitted industrial dye that gives a bright yellow colour. Chronic consumption is linked to liver damage and is classified as a potential carcinogen. Genuine turmeric has a muted, earthy yellow, not a bright, vivid one.
Chilli powder: Adulterated with brick powder, Sudan dyes (Sudan I-IV are known carcinogens), and artificial colours to enhance redness. Excess lead contamination has been found in multiple samples.
Black pepper: Papaya seeds, which are visually similar, are mixed in to increase volume. Dried berries of other plants are also used as fillers.
The Milk Problem
In the 2024-25 financial year, FSSAI tested 33,405 milk and milk product samples. Of these, 12,780, nearly 38 per cent, were non-conforming. The adulterants found include water (the most common), detergents (to restore frothiness after dilution), urea (to increase protein readings in tests), starch, and in some cases, synthetic milk made from chemicals.
FSSAI has received over 7,700 food adulteration complaints in 2024-25, of which nearly 6,000 have been resolved. Over 12,000 cases were launched against defaulting food business operators in the same period.
How to Identify Adulterated Food
Turmeric test: Add a teaspoon of turmeric to a glass of warm water. Pure turmeric settles at the bottom with a pale yellow colour. Metanil yellow dissolves quickly, leaving a bright yellow or orange colour. Adding a few drops of lemon juice to adulterated turmeric turns it pink.
Milk test: Put a drop of milk on a polished surface and tilt it. Pure milk flows slowly, leaving a white trail. Adulterated milk flows quickly without leaving a trail. Boiling pure milk leaves a thin residue; heavily watered milk leaves almost none.
Chilli powder: Sprinkle some on water. Pure chilli powder floats briefly and colours the water evenly. Artificial colours dissolve immediately, creating streaks of intense red.
Honey: Pure honey does not dissolve quickly in water. Adulterated honey disperses immediately. Pure honey forms a thread when poured; diluted honey drips.
Protective Strategies
Buy whole spices and grind at home. Whole turmeric roots, dried chillies, and peppercorns are much harder to adulterate than powdered forms. A small mixer-grinder is a one-time investment that pays for itself in food safety.
Source from trusted suppliers. Direct farm sourcing, organic certifications (though not foolproof), and brands with FSSAI certification and third-party testing provide more accountability than loose market purchases.
Read FSSAI licence numbers. Every packaged food product must display a 14-digit FSSAI licence number. You can verify it at fssai.gov.in.
NutriCart's grocery integration connects with verified retailers in India, including Blinkit, BigBasket, and JioMart, helping you source ingredients from accountable supply chains rather than unregulated loose markets.