Fake cooking oil: Oil is one thing without which cooking is not possible. Although used in small quantities, oil must be used. Different types of oil are used for cooking in every household. Oils like cotton seed oil, peanut oil, mustard oil, olive oil etc. are used.
But do you know that fake oil is sold in abundance in the market? You may not even know that the oil you are using thinking it to be real is actually fake. The way food items are adulterated in the market reduces the chances of you consuming a pure product. However, if the oil is fake, its use can cause serious harm to health.
Edible oils are often adulterated with tri-ortho cresyl phosphate. This is an organic fertilizer or pesticide containing phosphorus. Consuming this oil can also cause a heart attack. FSSAI has also explained how to check whether it is real or fake.
This is how you can check if it is real or fake
Take two milliliters of oil in a glass. Add one teaspoon of yellow butter to it. If the color of the oil does not change, then it is pure and safe to eat. But if the color of the oil turns red, then the oil is impure and consuming it can cause health problems.
The quality of oil can also be checked in this way
– Take some oil in a clean container and keep it in the fridge. If the oil is pure then it will solidify. And if the oil is adulterated then it will remain liquid. Olive oil starts to spoil within 30 minutes.
– Apply a little oil on a white paper. Then let it dry. If the oil is pure, the paper will become uniformly transparent without any shine.
– You can also check if the oil is adulterated by smelling it. Pure oil has a natural smell whereas adulterated oil does not.