Easy Steps To Check if the Mithai You Bought Is Adulterated

As the festive season approaches, homes across India come alive with the aroma of fresh laddoos, barfis, and pedas. But behind this sweet celebration lies a bitter truth — the rise of food adulteration.

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In a recent crackdown, authorities in Rajasthan seized over 20,000 kg of adulterated mithai, exposing ingredients such as fake khoya and silver foil made from aluminium. Such unscrupulous shortcuts don’t just rob the joy of the festival — they can pose serious health risks.

The good news, though? You don’t need a lab to test your sweets. With a few simple checks at home, you can make sure your mithai is pure, safe, and truly worth celebrating.

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Here’s how you can identify a fake or adulterated mithai: 

1. Simple iodine test

Khoya (or mawa) is often adulterated with starch, especially during Diwali. Here’s a quick test:

• Dissolve a teaspoon of khoya in hot water.
• Add a few drops of iodine solution.
• If the solution turns blue, it's adulterated with starch.
• If it stays the same, it's likely pure.

You can also rub a small amount of khoya on your palm to better identify its texture. Pure khoya feels grainy, leaves a greasy stain, and smells like ghee. Fake khoya often feels pasty or dry and lacks aroma.

2. Is that silver foil real or just aluminium?

Mithai is often decorated with vark (silver leaf). But sometimes cheap, unsafe aluminium is used instead.

• Gently rub the foil between your fingers.
• Pure silver will vanish into your skin.
• Fake foil made of aluminium will roll into a tiny ball.
• Fake foil not only lacks the shine but can also be harmful if ingested.

3. Suspect detergent? Try the shake test

To enhance whiteness or frothiness, some vendors add detergent to sweets — a dangerous and illegal practice.

• Dissolve a piece of mithai in water.
• Shake well.
• If you see foamy lather, it could be due to detergent contamination.
• If in doubt, avoid consumption and report it to local food safety authorities.

4. Trust your senses

Trust us, your senses are great first-line detectors:

• Smell: Stale mithai may smell musty or sour.
• Taste: A sour or off taste is a red flag.
• Texture: Good mithaiis soft, moist, and uniform. Adulterated or old sweets are often hard, sticky, or crumbly. 

Stay safe, celebrate smart

Festivals are for joy — don’t let poor-quality sweets ruin your health. Always buy from trusted sweet shops, check the packaging if store-bought, and when in doubt, test it out.

Got a mithai hack of your own? Share it with your community — safe celebrations are sweet celebrations!