Cloves are a common spice used in various foods and old medicines for their health benefits and because they add to the taste of a dish. s. Originating from the Syzygium aromaticum tree, these dry flower buds are prized for their essential oil.
However, contaminated items, such as exhausted cloves—those from which the volatile oil has been extracted—frequently dominatethe market. In addition to affecting the taste and quality. This might also put a customer's health at risk. To identify such adulteration at home, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has created a simple but efficient technique.
Cloves Adulteration
Cloves that have had their essential oils extracted through distillation are sold as exhausted cloves, which is the most prevalent type of clove adulteration. Although they look deceivingly similar, these cloves lack the strong flavour, scent, and therapeutic qualities of real cloves. Adulterators frequently combine these exhausted cloves with real ones, making it challenging to identify them visually. This act not only tricks buyers with money but also deprives them of the health benefits and culinary value of real cloves.
Image Credit: Freepik
Detection Method
To identify exhausted cloves, the FSSAI suggests an easy flotation test.
Materials Needed
- A clear glass of water
- Sample of cloves (suspected to be adulterated)
To conduct this test, measure out a small amount of the cloves you want to test in a transparent glass of water. Make sure the cloves are completely submerged in the water after carefully adding them. Watch how the cloves behave in the water. Because they retain their natural oils, which give them solidity, pure, unadulterated cloves sink to the bottom. On the other hand, tainted, dried-out cloves that have lost their oils will float on the water's surface. Customers can quickly assess the cloves' quality thanks to this significant visual difference.
Health Impacts
Exhausted cloves might not be harmful, but they don't have the healthy substances that pure cloves do, including eugenol, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. Frequent intake of low-quality spices might reduce the overall health benefits of spices like cloves and cause nutritional deficits. Also, some ways of processing or removing the oils from these cloves might put pollutants or bad stuff into the final product, which makes it riskier for a person's health.
Image Credit: Freepik
Precautions
It is essential to educate consumers about the dangers of spice adulteration and the creation of easy diagnostic techniques. Many people may be unaware of how common adulteration is or how it might directly affect the taste and nutritional value of their food. People can be empowered to become more discriminating consumers by offering instructional materials on detection techniques, such as through internet platforms or community workshops.
Record the product information and notify the local FSSAI officials if you find cloves that have been tampered with. Save the purchase receipt and product package as proof. Always purchase cloves from reliable vendors, and check the packaging for FSSAI certification. Considering that entire spices are typically less prone to adulteration, try buying whole cloves instead of ground ones.