Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Food Adulteration Risks: Seven Kitchen Items to Replace
Food cooked at home is not automatically safe if the ingredients are poor quality or adulterated.
The article says people should read food labels carefully instead of looking only at calories and protein.
It warns about several products, including fake or adulterated salt, loose spices, hydrogenated oils and packaged juices.
It also questions some breads, mayonnaise products and artificially ripened fruits and vegetables.
The suggested solution is to buy trusted products or prepare more foods at home.
Whole spices, whole fruits and cold-pressed oils are offered as alternatives.
The article says cookware, chopping boards and scrubbers can also affect food safety.
It presents general advice and says readers should consult qualified health professionals for medical concerns.
Nutritionist Nikita Garg warns that home-cooked meals may still contain adulterated ingredients.
The article recommends checking ingredient lists, additives, fillers and other fine print on labels.
It highlights analogue salt, unbranded spices, hydrogenated oils, avocado-oil mayonnaise, bread, packaged juices and artificially ripened produce.
Suggested alternatives include whole spices, cold-pressed oils, homemade foods, whole fruits and trusted produce sources.
The article also advises replacing plastic chopping boards, aluminium or non-stick cookware and frequently used scrubbers.
- Who
- Nutritionist Nikita Garg, founder of Entech Wellness, offers the warnings and recommendations.
- What
- An article identifies seven food categories and several kitchen tools that it says may be adulterated, heavily processed or potentially unsafe.
- Where
- In household kitchens, with references to Indian cooking and markets; the article also discusses some US-made avocado mayonnaise.
- Why
- To encourage consumers to identify adulteration and misleading claims and choose ingredients and equipment the author considers safer.
- Author quoted
- Nikita Garg, nutritionist and founder of Entech Wellness
- Food items highlighted
- Analogue salt, unbranded spices, hydrogenated oils, avocado-oil mayonnaise, bread, packaged juices, and artificially ripened produce
- Label advice
- Check ingredients, additives, fillers and fine print, not only calories and macronutrients
- Suggested salt alternatives
- Sendha namak, pink salt, black salt, sea salt and pink Himalayan salt
- Suggested cooking alternatives
- Cold-pressed oils, stainless steel, cast iron or natural clay cookware
- Produce alternative
- Eat whole fruits instead of packaged juices and source produce from trusted vendors
- Kitchen hygiene advice
- Change scrubbers every 15 days, soak them in hot water daily and avoid plastic chopping boards