Jaggery is a traditional unrefined sugar product made from cane juice or palm juice, and is used as a sweetener for foods and alcoholic beverages in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Molasses is not removed during production, giving it a typical color range from golden brown to dark brown, with the darker color being preferred as more pure. Jaggery is usually found in block or paste form. Jaggery can be tested for two common adulterants, metanil yellow (a coal tar dye) and sodium bicarbonate, to determine its level of purity.
To Test Jaggery for Metanil Yellow
Measure 1/4 tsp. of crushed jaggery into a test tube or glass container.
Add 1/2 tsp. of alcohol to the container and use the stir stick to blend thoroughly.
Put on the rubber gloves and fill the eyedropper with muriatic acid or hydrochloric acid. Add 10 drops of the liquid from the eyedropper to the container.
Check for any color changes. Any color change to pink indicates the presence of metanil yellow, proving that the jaggery is not pure.
To Test Jaggery for Sodium Bicarbonate
Measure 1/4 tsp. of crushed jaggery into the test tube or glass container.
Put on the rubber gloves and measure 1/2 tsp. of muriatic acid or hydrochloric acid into the container.
Watch for signs of effervescence (bubbles) in the mixture. Effervescence indicates an adulteration with sodium bicarbonate, meaning the jaggery is not pure.