It’s the festive season, and the most popular Indian festival, Diwali, is approaching soon, and everyone is busy. As we eagerly await the opportunity to eat these delicious treats, it is possible that many of them are not as genuine as the public has been led to believe. This is due to festive demand that heavily compromises production to the point of alleged adulteration. This Diwali, let us ensure that the sweets we’re consuming are free of contaminants and produced hygienically. Here’s a list of 10 important facts to stay cautious of:

1. High Demand, High Risk

During the festival of Diwali, people are more inclined towards sweets, which in turn increases the demand for sweets. However, this can lead to some manufacturers adopting improper methodologies in a bid to increase the amount of their profits. Having this in mind, be very wary of where you source your sweets from and deal with reputable traders only.

2. Milk-based sweet products are the preferred goal.

Milk is used in preparing various famous sweetmeats such as barfi, peda, and rasagulia. Nevertheless, some manufacturers may make a decision to incorporate synthetic milk or milk powder, which may affect the taste and health of the consumers in the process. Well, synthetic or liquid milk may contain some chemicals, so be cautious when you are eating milk-based products, such as sweets from reputed brands.

3. Check for artificial colouring.

Even with the aim of making sweets reflect pleasing colours required in preparing them, some manufacturers use paints that are dangerous to health. Excessive or toxic colouring is not good for our health, especially for children. Select those products that have natural looks, and especially avoid candies with neon-like colours.

4. Silver Leaf: Real or Fake?

Silver Vark is a favourite Diwali covering for sweets and other edibles; however, not all Vark is real silver. Unfortunately, some manufacturers make use of an inexpensive aluminium foil that is poisonous when swallowed. Thereby the birth of real and fake silver leaves emerged; actually, the real one should meet certain characteristics; for example, it has to be so thin that it breaks when one tries to fold it. One such tip is to always question your sweet seller concerning the genuine nature of the silver leaf.

5. Preparation of Khoya from the market landed us in a lot of trouble because it is usually adulterated with things like starch, calcium-binding agents, and vanaspati.

Khoya, or mawa, is an essential component used extensively in Indian sweets and, during the festivities, is often compromised. Some vendors add starch or any other filler in it to cut the costs of production for their products. If its texture or taste variant seems to be different from what it’s usual, then there are strong chance that it has been adulterated. This risk must be taken to buy sweets from reliable shops.

6. Frequently, people use saccharin and other artificial sweeteners for different diseases and illnesses.

To be economical, sweeteners like saccharin may be used instead of sweet natural sugars in the manufacture of the product. Although it is permitted within moderation, a large intake may cause some intestinal tract discomfort and other similar health effects. If you are using a new or unfamiliar supplier, you should always enquire if the sweets use pure sugar.

7. Pay Attention to Packaging

Elegantly packed commodities can be said to be of good quality. Make sure that the sweets are packed in well-sealed and labelled packs showing ingredients and production information. Sweets that are kept in open packs or loosely packed are more likely to be contaminated with some sort of adulteration agent.

8. Look Out for Expiry Dates

Sometimes, even unsellable products or sweets that are nearing their best-before date are washed off in the course of Diwali celebrations. Even when buying sweets in packages, always look at the manufacturing and expiry dates, even if you are buying from a big supermarket. As a general rule, fresh sweets are considered to be better.

9. Texture and taste may be signs—remember the milkmaid’s butter.

Real candies are non-GMO and are made from natural textures, and they have a fresh taste. A sweet that feels coarse, tacky, or greasy within the packaging is likely to contain some sort of filler or is likely to be out of date. Use your intuition—if you get the feeling that something is wrong, which is quite possible around here, spit it out.

10. Buy from trusted shops

This may sound cliometrical, but it is worth remembering: working with well-chosen and recommended stores will help you avoid fakes from sweets. It may be disappointing to have to shed a few bucks more on appliances, but it may prove to be costly should you forego healthier options.

With responsibility and knowledge, the festive night can be merry, as well as safe to celebrate Diwali for the community. Therefore, initiate yourself into those mouthwatering sweets by ensuring they are genuinely organic!