YELLOW YELLOW DIRTY YELLOW

        

        Turmeric (curcuma Longa) is the spice that gives curry its yellow color. It has been used in India as both a spice and a medicinal herb. Recently, science has started to back up traditional claims that turmeric contains compounds with medicinal properties. The brilliant yellow color from turmeric has also given it the moniker  " Indian saffron ". With its inherent qualities and high content of the important bioactive compound curcumin, Indian turmeric is considered to be the best in the world. It has also been known as a medicine for ages, and to have anti - bacterial, anti-oxidant and anti – inflammatory properties and also a lot of health benefits  that has been used as a grandma medicine since ages

        Erode a city in south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the world's largest producer and the most important trading center for turmeric.  Coimbatore, Salem, Namakkal and Dharmapuri are other major turmeric growing districts which accounts for 90 percent of the production in Tamilnadu. The active ingredient in turmeric is   curcumin and this can vary from 2 percent to 8percent. The common  cooking grades of masala brands varies from 2 to 3 percent.  The higher curcumin varieties grow in the hilly North Eastern states of India such as Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Manipur. These states are famous for the  Lakhadong  turmeric, which has a deep orangish color and is in high demand.

        The reported consumption of turmeric in Asian countries in humans is in the range of 200- 1000 mg/day or 160-440 g/person /year.

 

Uses of Turmeric:  

    Turmeric has been put to use as a food ingredient, cosmetic and medicinal purposes. It is widely used as a spice in South Asian  and Middle Eastern cooking. It lends curry its distinctive yellow color and flavor. It is used as a  coloring agent in cheese, butter, and other foods. It is also used in manufacturing food products such as canned beverages, dairy products, baked products, ice cream, yellow cakes, biscuit, popcorn, sweets, cake icings, cereals, sauces and gelatins. Turmeric also has a lot of non-food application and is used extensively for religious purposes in temples and coloring of clothing for religious festivals and creating turmeric statues in Pooja shops. Turmeric milk (Thillai’s masala milk)golden latte, is a an instant beverage mix that uses biocurcumin the active ingredient in turmeric.  The beverage is a good remedy for  cough, cold and flu. It is not simply used as a flavoring agent, but also as Ayurvedic medicine to boost immunity and also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.  

How pandemic has led to the adulteration in Turmeric:

                       The pandemic has fuelled the demand for turmeric as people looked for natural immunity boosting foods and turmeric consumption increased manifold. This however has given rise to rampant adulteration in turmeric for economic purposes.

 

        Turmeric is probably the most adulterated spice so much so that turmeric adulterated with fillers like rice flour is now the gold standard and even chefs believe that this helps give a thick consistency to gravies and is the real thing. Turmeric is easy to adulterate because of its widespread use of food and non food applications, At the same time it is extremely difficult to detect adulteration in turmeric because it is frequently sold in powdered form, rendering it nearly impossible to identify by macroscopic visual inspection. Turmeric contains natural starch and hence is adulterated with rice flour, maize flour to increase the bulk. Turmeric is also adulterated with synthetic colors such as sunset yellow, butter yellow, all of which are known to be carcinogenic.

 

        Do you want to know whether the turmeric that you purchased is uttered with artificial food coloring. Check out this simple method at home.

        A recent study shows that turmeric is adultered with a toxic bright yellow lead –containing compound called  lead chromate. The addition is typically done during the polishing of turmeric merchants who want to sell inferior –Quality turmeric at a higher price. Some of the earliest reports of turmeric adulteration include adulteration with other curcuma species, starches, and yellow dyes. A synthetic compound contains benzene and sulfur called metanil yellow is also added to turmeric for adulteration.

Health hazards:

       Lead is a threat to public health, as even low levels of PB exposure can lower IQ   and disrupt normal cognitive development especially among children  .It is highly corrosive and dangerous for the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. It also because cancer. The metallic yellow chemical added to turmeric can cause oxidative stress, damage to the liver.

      While all of then may beto the lungs and gastrointestinal tract It's also because cancer ponsible brands that ensure that all of this is addressed and that you get only a safe and wholesome product. These Companies have a robust food safety system that ensures safety from farm to the table and also have extensive quality testing laboratories to ensure quality and safety.

        You can check out the website   https://fssai.gov.in/dart/  and get a clear idea as to how to detect adulteration through simple and easy steps. You do not want to end up paying for spurious stuff that would also cost you health! Genuine turmeric might cost a mite more, but the assurance of safety and quality will more than offset the cost. It will give you an assured peace of mind without you having wonder or bother.

Why a good brand of turmeric?

            Still undecided about what brand turmeric powder?  I would like to personally share my experience with  Thillai's here. Other good brands I am aware of our Aditya with its origins in Erode itself. Tata Sampann is a mother great brand that I can vouch for. I found  Thillais aromatic and earthy, free from fillers and preservatives. Thillai's are widely celebrated for its assortment of exotic pure ground spices, easy masala mix powders that are safe and pure.

        There are also many other good, genuine companies who believe in customer satisfaction and work hard to provide good quality products. Their products go through extensive microbiological, chemical and organoleptic testing before being delivered.

        Now that you know what happens to turmeric you can possibly decide where and how to look for good, safe and wholesome turmeric. Thus, it's time for us to change our lifestyle and be cautious as to what we consume and encourage a healthy lifestyle in children.

Author Name: Neethu Manuel