Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other one labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): As per Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, vanaspathi shall contain raw or refined sesame (til) oil in sufficient quantity so as to get the required colour intensity in Baudouin test.
Reason (R): When vanaspathi is used as an adulterant in ghee, sesame oil present in vanaspathi serves as a marker, which could be ascertained through Baudouin test.
In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

• A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
• B. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A)
• C. (A) is true but (R) is false
• D. (A) is false but (R) is true

Hint:

Remember the regulatory marker relationship:
- Vanaspathi must contain sesame oil as a latent marker.
- This marker is detected using the Baudouin test (reacting furfural + HCl to produce a crimson-red color).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Vanaspathi is a cheap, hydrogenated vegetable fat that is physically similar to ghee, making it a common adulterant.
To prevent this adulteration, government regulations require a chemical marker to be added to all manufactured vanaspathi, allowing it to be easily detected.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the chemistry and regulations behind this marker:
-Assertion (A):
According to the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR), all vanaspathi sold in India must contain a minimum of 5% to 10% raw or refined sesame (til) oil by weight.
Sesame oil contains sesamolin, a natural unsaponifiable compound.
When sesame oil is treated with concentrated hydrochloric acid and furfural, the sesamolin is hydrolyzed to sesamol, which condenses with furfural to form a permanent crimson-red colored complex.
This is known as the Baudouin test.
The regulations mandate adding sesame oil so that any sample of vanaspathi will produce a clear, specified color intensity in the Baudouin test.
Thus, Assertion (A) is true.
-Reason (R):
Because pure ghee does not contain sesame oil, it gives a negative result in the Baudouin test.
If ghee is adulterated with vanaspathi, the sesame oil present in the vanaspathi acts as a chemical marker.
Running the Baudouin test on the adulterated ghee sample will produce a crimson-red color, revealing the presence of the vanaspathi.
Thus, Reason (R) is true and directly explains why the addition of sesame oil to vanaspathi is legally required.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A), which corresponds to Option (A).