How to Check the Purity of Mustard Oil?

 

Abstract: Mustard oil has always been the most essential ingredient in Indian kitchens and households. We have heard from our grandparents or elders about the benefits that Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil beholds, but they also talked about checking the purity of the oil before its use. There are quite a few methods on how we can inspect if the mustard oil we are taking up is refined or not

Can a Brand of Oil be Trusted?

The rich aroma of food from our kitchen relies widely on the category of oil we use, and what is better than a bottle or a pack of mustard oil to enhance the richness of food? The mustard oil that we pick up from the market or order online goes through various procedures before being ready to consume. The traditional Cold-Pressed oil extraction method is the best-trusted technique due to the various benefits affixed to it-

• No extra heat of chemicals is used in its making.
• The Oil is extracted naturally by crushing the oil seeds at room temperature.
•  It uses 110% organic and natural elements.

But, we aren’t witness to any of the stages of processing, so how can we completely trust what is written on the pack? No, you shouldn’t blindly trust any product unless you know its content reliability because there is hardly anything in the market that is unadulterated.

How to check the Purity and Richness?

Now the question arises, how can we check if the oil we are using is pure in form or unadulterated? There are various scientific and domestic ways to check the purity of the Mustard oil you are using. A few of them are-

SCIENTIFIC METHODS-  The very first approach would be to get the Mustard Oil test in a scientific way in a laboratory.

1.      HPLC– Abbreviated as High- performance liquid chromatography. This process confirms if the mustard oil is adulterated and follows regulatory standards. Through this technique, the presence of gamma oryzanol which helps to detect the existence of rice bran adulteration in the mustard oil can be tested.

2.      Nitric Acid Test- To be performed in a laboratory. Take a test tube, and add 5 ML of Mustard oil and 5 ML of Nitric acid. Now shake the test tube gently, if the color of the Oil changes from golden to red or orange, it indicates the adulteration of the mustard oil. But if the oil is pure, the color remains unchanged.

·         DOMESTIC WAYS-  There are a few ways through which you can check if the Mustard oil you are using is pure or adulterated.

1.      Barometer Test- The accepted range of the barometer to test the purity of the oil is between 58- 60.5. Always check the barometer reading of the oil before purchasing, if the reading of the oil is more than the prescribed norm, the oil is fake and adulterated. Always keep a check on the reading of the product you buy, especially the ones that you consume.

2.      Freezing Test- This is one of the widely used methods at home to check if the oil is pure or not. Pour some mustard oil into a bowl and keep it in the refrigerator. Check after a few minutes, if there is a layer of white spots on the oil and it appears to be frozen, figure out that the oil is degraded and not good to use.

3.      Rubbing Test- It is one of the easiest and quickest ways to check if the mustard oil is pure or not. Pour a few drops of oil into your palm, and rub it energetically. If there is a change in smell or the color of the oil, it means that the oil is not 100%  pure and contains some greasy substance.

Conclusion

These are a few of the ways to check if the mustard oil you have been using in your kitchen is suitable to consume or not. Unadulterated and cold-pressed mustard oil is what we all need in the kitchen and our lives to stay hale and hearty.