What are various parameters evaluated for certifying quality of food ? In order to ensure the right quality of various food products, several parameters are evaluated as given below : Test parameters | Methodology adopted | Applicability | PHYSICAL AND RHEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS | Refraction | Sieve test | Flour | Insect infestation | Visual observation | Cereals, pulses | Admixture | Visual observation | Cereals, pulses | Colour on scale | | Oil, fat, | Bellier turbidity temperature | Visual | Oils | Optical rotation | Polarimeter | Sugar, Syrup, Oil & fat | Refractive Index | Abbe Refractometer | Oil & fat, Sugar syrup | Scorched particles | Scorched particle tester | Milk powder | pH | Digital pH meter | Most of food products | Specific gravity | Specific gravity bottle | Oils, Alcoholic beverages | Microscopic Examination | Compound Microscope | Honey, Starch products | Water absorption capacity | Remi Centrifuge | Fiber, Protein | Oil absorption capacity | Remi Centrifuge | Fiber, protein | Falling Number | Falling Number Apparatus | Wheat flour | Elasticity & Extensibility of Dough | Alveo-Consistograph | Wheat flour | Viscosity | Hoake viscometer Ostwald viscometer Brookefield viscometer | Fat & oil, fruit pulp | CHEMICAL PARAMETERS | Moisture | Hot air oven Vacuum oven Karl Fischer titer Dean & Stark | Most of the food products, Animal feeds | Fat or oil | Chemical | Most of the food products, Animal feeds | Protein | Chemical | Most of the food products, Animal feeds | Starch | Chemical | Starch containing products | Sugars | Chemical, HPLC | Sugar, Beverages, Confectioneries, other food products | Cellulose | Spectrophotometer | Vegetables, fruits, feed, fiber | Ethyl alcohol | Chemical | Alcoholic beverages | Methyl alcohol | GC | Alcoholic beverages | Higher alcohols | Spectrophotometer GC /Chemical | Alcoholic beverages | Esters | GC | Alcoholic beverages | Total nitrogen | Kjeldahl Unit | Food & feed products | Aldehydes, furfurals | GC | Alcoholic drinks & beverages, Honey | Ash | Muffle furnace | Food & feed products | Crude fiber | Chemical | Animal feeds, Bakery & Confectionery, Cereals, Pulses, Starch & starchy products | Dietary fiber | Enzymatic | Functional foods, Bakery & Confectionery, Cereals, Pulses | Soluble fiber | Chemical | Functional foods, Bakery & Confectionery, Cereals, Pulses | Insoluble fiber | Chemical | Functional foods, Bakery & Confectionery, Cereals, Pulses | Pectin | Chemical | Fruit & vegetable products | Amino acid profile | HPLC | Infant food, Neutraceuticals | Fatty acid profile | GC | Vegetable oils and fat, egg | trans-Fatty acids | GC FTIR | Vegetable oils, Ghee | Water and oil soluble vitamins | HPLC Spectroflourometer | Infants, Herbal drinks, Infant food | Phytochemicals | TLC HPLC | Herbal products, Functional foods | Flavinoids | TLC Spectrophotometer | Neutraceuticals | Alkaloids | Chemical | Tobacco products, Tea & Coffee | Acid insoluble ash | Chemical |  | Whey protein nitrogen index | Chemical | Milk powder | Phosphatase activity | Spectrophotometer | Milk and milk powder | Alpha amylase activity | Falling Number / Spectrophotometer | Cereal flour, Barley, Malt | b -Carotene | HPLC Spectrophotometer | Vegetable oils, meat | Menthol | GC | Pan masala, Tobacco products | Tannin | Spectrophotometer Chemical | Tea, Coffee, Arecanut (Betelnut) | Caffeine | HPLC Spectrophotometer | Coffee, Tea, Carbonated beverages | Cholesterol , Phyto-sterols | HPLC GC Spectrophotometer | Egg, ghee, vegetable oils | Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Manganese, Zinc, Silver, Gold, etc. | AAS | Raw and processed food products | Chloride, Fluoride, Cyanide, Iodide, etc. | Specific ion analyser | Processed food products | METALLIC CONTAMINANTS | Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, Copper, Cadmium, Tin, Aluminum, Nickel, Iron, etc. | AAS | Food products, feed, additives, Canned foods | BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS | E. coli, Samonella, S. aureus, Shigella,Campylobacter,Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas, Clostridium sp. | Microbiological methods ELISA | Dairy products, processed food products | Enterotoxin, Mycotoxins (Alfatoxins, Ochratoxin) | HPLC / ELISA | Peanuts, Animal feeds, Milk | DRUGS & HORMONES | Chloramphenicol | LC-MS-MS | Milk, Honey | Nitrofurans (Furazolidone, Furatadone, Nitrofurantoin, Nitrofurazone) | LC-MS-MS | Milk, Honey | Sulfonamide (Sulfadiazine, Sulfadimethoxine, Sulfadoxine, Sulfamerazine, Sulfanilamide, Sulfamethoxy pyridazine, Sulfathiazol, Trimethoprim) | LC-MS-MS | Milk, Honey | Streptomycin | LC-MS-MS | Milk, Honey | Tetracycline (Tetracyclin, Oxytetracyclin, Chlortetracyclin, Doxycyclin) | LC-MS-MS | Milk, Honey | Oxytocin | HPLC / RIA | Milk | Ronidazole | LC-MS-MS | Milk | b -lactum | ELISA | Milk | Steroids | TLC | Herbal products | RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS | Cs-134, Cs-137, I-131, Sr-90, Am-241, Pt-239 | Alpha, Beta and Gamma Counter | Milk powder, Chilly, fruits, vegetables, processed food products | CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS | Dioxins | HPLC | Milk powder | RESIDUAL PESTICIDES | Organochlorine compounds (Hexachlorobenzene,Chlorobenzilate , pp-DDT, op-DDT, pp-DDE, pp-DDD, HCH (all isomers), Lindane, Vinclozolin) | GC-MS | Raw and processed food products, Animal feeds | Organophosphorus compounds (Coumaphos, Malathion, Phosalone) | GC-MS | Raw and processed food products, Animal feeds | Pyrethriod compounds (Cyfluthrin, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Permethrin, Fenvalerate, Fluvalinate) | GC-MS | Raw and processed food products, Animal feeds | Carbamates (Carbofuran, Propoxur, carbaryl) | GC-MS | Raw and processed food products, Animal feeds | Miscellaneous compounds (Amitraz, Bromopropylate, Chinomethionine) | GC-MS | Raw and processed food products, Animal feeds | FOOD ADDITIVES | TBHQ, BHA, BHT | HPLC GC-MS Spectrophotometer | Oil and fat, fat-rich products | monoglycerides | Chemical | Processed food products | Emulsifiers | Chemical | Processed food products | Artificial & natural colours | HPLC TLC Spectrophotometer | Processed food products | Artificial sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame, etc.) | HPLC | Carbonated beverages, Low calorie products | Benzoic acid, Sorbic acid, Propionic acid | Chemical | Processed food products | ADULTERANTS | Gambier | TLC | Catechu | Urea | Spectophotometer | Milk | Neutralizer | Chemical | Milk | Starch | Chemical Spectrophotometer | Milk | Preservatives (Fomaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide) | HPLC/Spectrophotometer | Food products | Detergents | Chemical | Milk | Argemone | TLC | Mustard oil | Mineral oil, Animal body fat | TLC/FTIR | Vegetable oil, Ghee, processed food products | Banned / Non-permitted dyes & colours | HPLC/ LC-MS-MS | Processed food products, Vegetables | PACKAGING MATERIALS | Tin, Chromium | AAS | Tin plate | Sulphide stain | Chemical | Food cans | Laquer | Physical Chemical | Tin cans | Migration tests | Chemical | Food grade plastics | Heavy metals like Pb, As, Cd, Se, Ba, | AAS | Coloured plastics | Water vapour permeability | Humidity chamber | Plastics | Identification of plastic materials | Chemical FTIR DSC | Food packaging materials | Physical tests | Thickness gauge Universal testing machin Elmendrof tear tester Dart impact tester | Plastic packages | |