title: Food adulteration: Sources, health risks, and detection methods.
abstract: Adulteration in food has been a concern since the beginning of civilization, as it not only decreases the quality of food products but also results in a number of ill effects on health. Authentic testing of food and adulterant detection of various food products is required for value assessment and to assure consumer protection against fraudulent activities. Through this review we intend to compile different types of adulterations made in different food items, the health risks imposed by these adulterants and detection methods available for them. Concerns about food safety and regulation have ensured the development of various techniques like physical, biochemical/immunological and molecular techniques, for adulterant detection in food. Molecular methods are more preferable when it comes to detection of biological adulterants in food, although physical and biochemical techniques are preferable for detection of other adulterants in food.
authors.affiliation: a Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology , Ludhiana , Punjab , India.
authors.forename: Sangita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.affiliation: a Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology , Ludhiana , Punjab , India.
authors.forename: Apoorva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: b Indian Agricultural Research Institute , New Delhi , India.
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mangal
authors.affiliation: c Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences , New Delhi , India.
authors.forename: Anupam K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mangal
authors.affiliation: d National Medicinal Plant Board , New Delhi , India.
authors.forename: Sanjiv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D005504:Food Analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D059022:Food Safety; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Food; adulterants; adulteration; detection methods; food safety