Food Adulteration

Food Adulteration

Food adulteration occurs when food ingredients are substituted, mislabeled, or contaminated—intentionally or unintentionally—resulting in compromised safety, quality, or authenticity. These practices are often driven by economic motives, such as using lower-cost substitutes while declaring higher-value ingredients, especially in meat products, dairy, or processed foods.

Adulteration can be difficult to detect, particularly in processed foods where the original form of the ingredient is not visually recognizable. For this reason, rigorous testing is essential to ensure that food products are free from fraudulent or undeclared substances.

Religious and cultural dietary laws also demand strict verification of food contents. For example, halal and kosher certifications require confirmation that meat and other ingredients align with religious guidelines. Even trace contamination from prohibited animal species (such as pork or non-halal slaughtered meat) must be identified to maintain consumer trust.

Food adulteration is not limited to meat but extends to fish, milk, plant-based products, and processed foods. Each category presents unique challenges and requires validated, sensitive detection methods to maintain product integrity and regulatory compliance.

BioStone Scientific offers a comprehensive range of test kits for the fast, simple, and sensitive detection of food adulteration.