100 people hospitalized after consuming adulterated buckwheat flour: 4 ways to do purity check at home

The holy 9-day festival of Chaitra Navratri is going on. And when it comes to fasting food, items like fruits, buckwheat flour, and nuts are considered to keep you full and energetic during the fasting days. What if fast food turns out to be the reason for illness? As per a recent report, over 100 people fell sick and were hospitalized after consuming adulterated buckwheat flour in Dehradun. During the investigation, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FDA) raided shops and cases were registered against more than 12 people.

During investigation, it was found that the families of the patients had purchased buckwheat flour from different shops, but the source of all the flour was linked to Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Vikasnagar (Dehradun).


The investigation revealed that buckwheat flour was supplied by Govind Sahay Shankar Lal. The establishment was supplying buckwheat flour from Saharanpur (UP), Vikas Goyal Chakki. This chakki is located near Mogganj Jama Masjid, Thana Kotwali City, Saharanpur, where buckwheat flour was ground, Laxmi Trading, Sangam Vihar, Bhojwala Road, Vikasngar, Dehradun. This establishment was the main distributor of buckwheat flour in Dehradun.

With the rising cases of food adulteration, it is important for consumers to be attentive and alert while shopping at the grocery store. As far as buckwheat flour is concerned, one can use these 4 simple tips to check the purity of buckwheat flour before shopping or consumption.



Read labels
As per experts, one of the easiest ways to check the purity of flour is to read labels. Read the ingredients details, check packaging dates, manufacturer details and nutritional information.

Water test
To perform a purity test at home, mix one tablespoon of flour in a glass of water. Genuine buckwheat flour will dissolve while adulterated substances like wheat, rice or starch will float on the surface or settle at the bottom.

Colour test
One can also check the purity by observing the colour. Pure buckwheat flour boasts a distinctive brown colour. Its white or light shade will indicate adulteration with wheat or rice flour.


Kneading
Another way of checking the purity is by kneading it.If it is adulterated, it will tend to bind well and easily, due to the presence of gluten. If it crumbles initially and takes time to bind well, it means it is gluten-free and is good for health.

Note
It is always suggested to buy packaged buckwheat flour and avoid the ones available in open or loose at grocery stores. There are higher chances of them being adulterated with other types of flours.

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