Chili powder mixed with chemical colorants, how to distinguish real from fake?

Distinguish by mcolor

Fake chili powder will have a bright, colorful color (left), real chili powder will have a darker color due to the process of drying fresh fruit into dried fruit (right).

When choosing to buy chili powder, first pay attention to the color of the chili.

Quality dried chili powder will have a copper or slightly brown color, less bright. From fresh chili to dried chili powder, it needs to go through a drying process. Under high temperature, the color of the chili will no longer be as bright and red as before.

If the chili powder products you buy have a beautiful red color, it is very likely that they are of poor quality and have been dyed with colorants.

Taste

Chili powder mixed with dyes will not have the characteristic smell and spicy taste, usually has the smell of dyes. Real chili powder will have a distinct aroma and spicy taste. People who are not used to the smell may sneeze and choke on the smell.

Visual observation

Real chili powder must still contain a lot of dried chili seeds.

Real chili powder will usually not be fine; nIf you look closely, you will see a lot of dried yellow chili seeds mixed in.

Chemical chili is very smooth and eye-catching because when dyed with color, the yellow chili seeds are accidentally dyed red.

When put into water

Real chili powder cannot dissolve in water; if put in water, it will float on top and not lose color.

Fake chili powder has been mixed and colored, when put into water, it will dissolve into a red or orange solution.

Packaging

Genuine chili powder is usually carefully packaged with full information about the manufacturer, expiration date, storage instructions and no signs of erasure.

Fake chili powder is often packaged carelessly in plastic bags or plastic boxes without the name of the manufacturer; if there is any, it is simply a piece of paper with information that can be easily counterfeited.

Chili powder is difficult to preserve for a long time because it is susceptible to mold and mildew. Therefore, some chemicals such as Rhodamine-B are added to chili powder to make it easier to preserve. In addition, they are also dyed an eye-catching bright red color with food coloring to attract customers.

However, these chemicals and dyes are very dangerous when entering the body in the long term. They can accumulate into toxins that are harmful to the liver, stomach, intestines... According to some scientists, Rhodamine-B mixed in chili powder can even cause cancer.