Protecting your kitchen: The hidden threat of Mustard oil adulteration

At OwnFresh, we take great pride in ensuring that the ingredients you bring home are genuine and safe. Today we want to talk with you very openly about the serious issue of adulteration in mustard oil, something that affects households across India and needs your attention.

Why this matters

Mustard oil has been a kitchen staple in many Indian homes for generations. Its distinctive flavour, the way it adds heat to your tadka, and its traditional value make it more than just a cooking oil. But what many are unaware of is that adulteration, the practice of adding cheaper or harmful substances to increase volume or alter properties is a growing problem. 

When adulteration occurs, you don’t just lose the authentic taste. The health implications can be profound. Studies show that mustard oil adulterated with cheaper oils such as palm oil, mineral oil, or other seed oils can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular issues, digestive disorders and other serious conditions. The Times of India+1

How you can spot adulteration at home

We believe in empowering you with simple tricks to check your oil before you cook. Here are some reliable methods:

• Freeze (or cold) test: Put a small amount of the oil in the fridge for a few hours. Pure mustard oil tends to solidify slightly or at least show signs of thickening or clouding. If the oil remains fully liquid with no sign of change, it may be adulterated.
  
• Smell and taste check: Authentic mustard oil has a strong, pungent aroma and a slightly bitter after-taste. If the oil smells mild, bland or chemically, it could be diluted with other oils.
  
• Visual clarity and impurity check: Real mustard oil is typically clear (in its own colour range) when poured, and should not have visible impurities. Cloudiness, floating particles, or unnatural colour suggest adulteration.
  

Because the stakes are high, we strongly encourage you to apply at least one of these tests when you buy a fresh bottle of mustard oil.

The deeper issue  health and ethics

Adulteration is not simply a matter of lowered quality but of ethics and safety. A review on edible oil adulteration found that oils like mustard oil are vulnerable to admixture with non-edible or inferior oils, such as the seeds of the plant Argemone mexicana  whose oil has been linked to epidemic drops in India. 

This matters for two reasons: First, using such adulterated oils over time can damage your health. The body of research shows links to heart disease, kidney problems, vision issues and more.
Second, such practices undermine trust in markets and harm honest producers who invest in good practices and quality. The ripple effect touches all of us.

How OwnFresh works to give you peace of mind

As a brand committed to authenticity, OwnFresh follows through on several key commitments:

1. Sourcing premium mustard seeds and using stone-pressed extraction methods to retain natural flavour and characteristics.
   
2. Stringent testing and quality assurance: Each batch is tested for impurities, adulterants and for meeting our internal quality benchmarks.
   
3. Clear labelling and transparency: We provide information on origin, extraction method and batch details so that you know what you are delivering to your family.
   
4. Keeping quantities fresh to minimise storage degradation and avoid risks associated with prolonged exposure to light, heat or air.
   

Practical tips when you shop

When you pick up a bottle of mustard oil (and we sincerely hope you pick ours!), keep these simple shopping tips in mind:

• Choose a branded, sealed bottle with proper label information including manufacturing and best-before dates.
  
• Check for recognisable certifications (food safety, extraction method) and ask whether the oil is stone-pressed.
  
• Store the oil in a cool, dark place, and try to finish a bottle within a reasonable time after opening, because freshness contributes to its authenticity and taste.
  
• If possible, keep a small sample in the fridge (or cold place) to observe whether it shows expected behaviour (thickening, clouding) over a few hours.
  

Final thoughts

In our homes, food is an expression of love, heritage and care. When we bring adulterated oil into the kitchen, we not only damage flavour and tradition  we put health and trust at risk. At OwnFresh, our mission is to ensure you never have to question your bottle of mustard oil. We stand by quality, we stand by transparency and we stand by the idea that every home deserves the best.

The next time you pour mustard oil into your tadka, please remember: the oil you choose is more than an ingredient; it’s a promise of safety, taste and authenticity. Choose wisely. From us at OwnFresh, thank you for making informed choices.