Tests to detect adulteration in ghee
1. Butyrorefractometer reading
Properly filtered ghee whose temperature is around 40°C is taken; 2-3 drops of it are poured in to the butyrorefractometer by the side of the glass rod. Now the reading is noted by the scale placed above the meter. Care has to be exercised to maintain the temperature of water that is flowing over the thermometer to be at 40°C. If the temperature deviates, then the results obtained may not be accurate.
2. Baudoin Test (Detection of adulteration of ghee with vanaspathi)
As per the prevention of food adulteration act, it has been made mandatory to add 5% sesame oil to vanaspathi in order to detect the presence of vanaspathi in ghee through Baudoin test. The principle behind the test is development of permanent crimson red colour with furfural in the presence of concentrated hydrochloric acid in ghee adulterated with vanaspathi.
How to detect?
Take 5 g of molten filtered ghee in a test tube and add 5 ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 0.1 ml furfural solution in alcohol (2%) and mix the contents thoroughly and it is allowed to remain undisturbed for 10 min. Development of crimson red colour shows that the ghee is adulterated with vanaspathi.
3. Detection of mineral oil in ghee
About 2 g of ghee is saponified with 25 ml of 50% alcoholic potassium hydroxide for one hour. Then the saponified content is transferred to a beaker containing 100 ml of water. Development of turbidity indicates the adulteration of mineral oil in ghee.