Authentic Turmeric Starch (pure)
Authentic turmeric starch is 100% extracted from fresh turmeric and contains the valuable active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, in high concentrations. After the separation and purification process, authentic turmeric starch has a high level of purity and does not contain impurities such as fiber, bran, turmeric resin, lead, etc. Using authentic turmeric starch does not cause body heat, yellowing of the skin, pimples, or discomforts such as nausea, abdominal pain,…
Fake turmeric starch
Fake turmeric starch has a low concentration of the active ingredient curcumin and is cheap. Moreover, fake starch contains toxic substances such as metanil yellow or chromate. Continuous use of these chemicals can affect health.
Fake turmeric starch is usually mixed with rice powder, talcum powder, or other starches. They are not toxic and do not provide any nutrition. More dangerously, some products labeled as turmeric starch are completely fake and made from a different type of powder, using additives to create aroma and color.
Visual observation
First, let’s look at the color of the turmeric starch because this is the easiest way to differentiate.
Authentic turmeric starch has a bright and vibrant yellow color, similar to the color of a daisy, and the more uniform the color, the less impurity. Authentic turmeric starch is finely sifted and fluffy, with small particles like face powder, and does not clump together.
Fake turmeric starch usually has brick yellow, dark yellow, opaque white, or light yellow colors. Dark yellow color is caused by unfiltered turmeric powder that hasn’t been sifted for starch, while light yellow or opaque white colors are due to mixing with other powders such as cornstarch, wheat flour. Fake turmeric starch is not finely sifted and fluffy, and may clump together or contain fibers, especially starchy turmeric with larger particles and more fiber.
Smell and taste observation
Fake turmeric starch still retains the bitter taste and slightly pungent, dark smell due to the presence of fibers and useless impurities.
Authentic turmeric starch has the aromatic scent of turmeric and a mild bitterness, and when mixed with honey, it no longer tastes bitter.
Dilution with laundry detergent to test the purity of turmeric starch
Authentic turmeric starch is rich in curcumin, which turns dark purple in an alkaline environment. Therefore, the purer the turmeric starch is, the higher the curcumin content is, and the darker the solution becomes.
On the other hand, if the turmeric starch is not pure, when diluted with laundry detergent, it will turn brownish red
Using boiling water to identify authentic turmeric starch
Testing turmeric starch with boiling water is one of the easiest ways to identify authentic turmeric starch.
Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric starch (2g) to a glass of warm water, without stirring or mixing.
After leaving it for 20 minutes, check the mixture again.
If the turmeric starch settles at the bottom of the glass and the water remains clear on top, it is authentic turmeric starch. If the water becomes turbid and yellow, it is likely fake turmeric starch.
Authentic turmeric starch easily dissolves in warm water. However, you should have two types of starch for comparison to get more accurate results with this method.
Using egg yolk and lemon to identify authentic turmeric starch
This is also a very effective and highly accurate method to identify authentic turmeric starch. The process of testing real and fake starch includes two steps:
First, mix turmeric starch with egg yolk to create an orange-yellow mixture.
Then, squeeze some lemon juice into the mixture. If the mixture remains yellow like at first, it is authentic turmeric starch.
This is the simplest and easiest method that helps you accurately identify whether turmeric starch is pure or mixed with impurities.
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