Food either obtained from plant or animal sources, is indispensable to all living creatures on this universe. Due to some reasons, the food is adulterated making it injurious to human health. Globally, about 57 % of people developed health problems due to ingestion of adulterated and contaminated foods. Food adulteration is a major public health challenge that compromises food quality, safety, and consumer trust worldwide. The deliberate addition, substitution, or removal of food components for economic gain can result in serious health consequences, including acute poisoning, chronic toxicity, nutritional deficiencies, and long-term diseases such as cancer. Several methods are used for the detection of adulterants in foods. Rapid urbanization, globalization of food trade, complex supply chains, and weak regulatory enforcement have contributed to the persistence of food adulteration, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Preventing food adulteration requires a multi-sectoral approach involving government authorities, food producers, vendors, consumers, and public health professionals. This review discusses the nature and public health significance of food adulteration and outlines comprehensive strategies for its prevention, including regulatory measures, food safety management systems, technological interventions, laboratory surveillance, consumer awareness, and community participation. Strengthening food control systems and promoting ethical practices in the food industry are essential for ensuring safe and wholesome food for all.

Food is a fundamental necessity for the survival, growth, and well-being of human beings. Safe, nutritious, and wholesome food is vital for maintaining health and preventing disease. However, food adulteration remains a persistent and widespread problem that threatens food safety and public health across the globe. Food adulteration refers to the intentional or unintentional addition of inferior, harmful, or unauthorized substances to food, or the removal of valuable components, thereby reducing food quality and safety [1]. Food adulteration is considered a social evil that is perpetuated by people, traders, and food inspectors [2]. It is widely rampant in many nations including Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and India [3,4].

Historically, adulteration of food has existed since ancient times, when traders used various deceptive practices to increase profits. In the modern era, increasing demand for food, complex food supply chains, globalization of trade, and profit-driven motives have exacerbated the problem. Many types of food, such as cereals, milk, butter, cheese, chilli powder, black powder, turmeric powder, honey, coffee and tea powder, butter oil (ghee), ice-cream, khoa, fruits, vegetables, and alcoholic drinks etc. are adulterated [3-6]. Common examples of food adulteration include dilution of milk with water or chemicals, addition of artificial colours to spices, substitution of expensive ingredients with cheaper alternatives, and contamination of edible oils with toxic substances [3,7].

Several types of adulterants, such as water, formalin, starch, urea, brick powder, saw dust, mineral oil, melamine, argemone oil, cane sugar, chalk powder, maltodextrin, papaya seed, boric acid, sodium chloride, chalk, etc. are added to different varieties of foods [5,6,3]. The consumption of adulterated food can pose serious health hazards, which range from nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, indigestion, ulcer, allergic reactions, headache, asthma, anaemia, liver disorder, brain damage, paralysis, reproductive disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint pain, carcinogenic effects, eye problems, kidney malfunction, and even death [ 8,6,3, 9]. Some of the adulterants can cause life threatening illness in children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and immunocompromised persons [6]. In addition to health impacts, food adulteration undermines consumer confidence, disrupts trade, and imposes substantial economic losses on societies. Several methods, such as physical, chemical/ biochemical (chromatography, spectroscopy, electrophoresis, ELISA), and molecular are employed to detect adulterant in various foods [6,10-12].

Food adulteration has public health a s well as economic implications. It is a major threat that is regularly faced by everybody [4]. Therefore, prevention of food adulteration is a critical public health priority. Hence, effective prevention requires coordinated efforts across the entire food chain, from production and processing to distribution and consumption. This article reviews the major preventive strategies for food adulteration, emphasizing regulatory, technological, educational, and community-based approaches.

1. Strengthening food laws and regulatory frameworks

Robust food laws and regulations form the foundation for prevention of food adulteration. Governments must establish clear legal standards defining food quality, permissible additives, contaminants, and labelling requirements. Enforcement of food safety legislation through regular inspections, penalties, and legal action against offenders is essential [13].

Regulatory authorities should ensure harmonization of national food standards with international guidelines as provided by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Strict penalties, including fines, license cancellation, and imprisonment, act as deterrents against adulteration practices. It is important that transparent regulatory systems should promote accountability within the food industry [13].

2. Implementation of food safety management systems

Food safety management systems, such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygienic Practices (GHP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) play a vital role in preventing adulteration. These systems help to identify potential points where adulteration may occur and establish controls to prevent it [14].

HACCP, in particular, is a preventive approach that focuses on controlling hazards throughout the food production and processing chain. Adoption of these systems by food industries, including small- and medium-scale enterprises, significantly reduces the risk of intentional and accidental adulteration [14].

3. Surveillance, monitoring, and laboratory testing

Regular surveillance and monitoring of food products are crucial for detecting adulteration. Food control laboratories should be well equipped with modern analytical techniques, such as chromatography, spectroscopy, and molecular methods to identify adulterants at very low levels [6,11, 15,12].

Routine sampling of foods from markets, processing units, markets and street vendors is necessary that allows early detection of adulteration. In addition, establishing accredited laboratories and strengthening analytical capacity, mostly in developing countries, is pivotal for effective prevention of adulteration in foods.

4.Use of technology and innovation

Recent developments in technology offer new tools for the prevention of food adulteration. Rapid detection kits, smartphone-based sensors, and portable analytical devices allow on-site testing of food products [16]. In addition, innovative packaging solutions, such as tamper-evident and smart packaging, can help to prevent contamination and adulteration during transportation and storage of food. It is hoped that adoption of such technologies will certainly enhance food integrity.

5. Supply chain transparency and traceability

Traceability systems allow tracking of food products from farm to fork, enabling rapid identification of adulteration sources. Digital technologies like blockchain, barcoding, and electronic record-keeping boost transparency in the food supply chain [17].

When traceability systems are in place, adulterated products can be quickly recalled, minimizing public health impact. It is stated that transparent supply chains also discourage fraudulent practices by increasing accountability among stakeholders [6].

6. Ethical practices and responsibility of food industry

The food industry plays a central role in preventing adulteration. Ethical business practices, corporate social responsibility, and adherence to food safety standards are essential. Food manufacturers and traders must ensure that raw materials are sourced from reliable suppliers and that quality checks are conducted at every stage.

Self-regulation, internal audits, and third-party certification encourage compliance with food safety standards. Creating a culture of food safety within organizations reduces intentional adulteration motivated by economic gain [18].

7. Control of street-vended foods

Street-vended foods are very popular in many countries of the world but are frequently vulnerable to adulteration due to lack of regulation and oversight. Implementing hygiene standards, licensing vendors, and providing access to clean water, and sanitation can diminish the risk of adulteration [19]. Therefore, training of street food vendors about safe food handling and monitoring their practices are practical measures to improving food safety in informal sectors.

8. Training and capacity building

Training of food handlers, processors, inspectors, and laboratory personnel is critical for preventing food adulteration. Education programs should focus on food hygiene, quality control, detection of adulterants, and legal responsibilities.

Capacity building initiatives enhance the competence of regulatory authorities and food industry workers, enabling effective implementation of food safety measures. It is pertinent to mention that continuous professional development ensures adaptation to emerging adulteration techniques [6].

9. Community participation 

Community participation is of utmost importance as it strengthens food safety systems. Reporting of adulteration must be encouraged. It is recommended that active and cordial collaboration between consumers, civil society organizations, and authorities will certainly improve surveillance and enforcement [6].

10.Consumer awareness and education

Education of consumers is imperative in combating food adulteration. Public awareness campaigns can educate consumers about common adulterants, simple household detection methods, food labelling, and safe purchasing practices [20].

Encouraging consumers to buy food from reputable sources, check expiry dates, and report suspected adulteration empowers communities and complements regulatory efforts. It is advised that consumer advocacy groups and media also contribute by raising awareness about the food adulteration which is a global public health issue [6].

Food is the basic necessity of humans to sustain life. Food adulteration remains a significant threat to public health, food security, and consumer confidence worldwide. Its prevention requires a comprehensive and integrated approach involving strong regulatory frameworks, effective food safety management systems, technological innovations, surveillance, industry accountability, and consumer awareness. Governments must enforce food laws rigorously, while the food industry must uphold ethical practices and quality standards. Empowering consumers through education and participation further strengthens prevention efforts. Ensuring safe, pure, and wholesome food is a shared responsibility and an essential component of sustainable public health and development. It is emphasized that stringent actions, such as immediate cancellation of licence of food establishments, and massive fine with imprisonment against the offenders must be taken. There is a need to develop new but cheaper technologies that can be easily available for the people of poor resource nations to help them in detecting adulterants in a variety of foods.

Acknowledgements

The author is highly grateful to Prof. Dr. R.K. Narayan for his prudent advice during the preparation of this manuscript. This paper is dedicated to all the scientists who have made significant contribution in food science.