44. Adulteration

Adulteration is when an essential oil has been added to or changed. There is nothing wrong with this practice as long as the customer is fully informed of what he/she is buying. For instance, in order to extend an essential oil, carrier oil could have been added. Unless clearly marked on the label that the essential oil is diluted in carrier oil this is, of course, highly unethical. Given the high cost of some essential oils, this can happen which is unfortunate. Another way oils can be adulterated is to extend an essential oil with similar smelling cheaper oil. Here, what you are purchasing is a 100% essential oil; however, you are not getting the oil you thought you were getting.

Jasmine is an example of oil that is often sold adulterated. Jasmine yields an extremely small amount of essential oil and is very expensive. If you see Jasmine offered for the same price as for instance Lavender, beware. To make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients. It being mixed with extraneous material; the product of adulterating. Adulteration is the act of adulterating (especially the illicit substitution of one substance for another).

Adulteration usually refers to mixing other matter of an inferior and sometimes harmful quality with food or drink intended to be sold. As a result of adulteration, food or drink becomes impure and unfit for human consumption. The federal Food and Drug Administration prohibits transportation of adulterated foods, drugs, and cosmetics in interstate commerce, as provided under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C.A. § 301 et seq. [1938]). State and local agencies, acting under the authority of local laws, do the same to ban the use of such impure goods within their borders.

Adulteration usage examples: food: The adulteration of food is not of course a new problem. Oil: Analysis of minor components of oils is of importance in confirming the authenticity and detection of adulteration of edible oils. Foodstuff: This prohibited the addition to food of articles which might injure health (i.e. the adulteration of foodstuffs). Medicine: Review At least six databases were searched up to December 2001 for studies that might report on the adulteration of Chinese herbal medicines. Juice: These results showed that the improvement made by industry in 1991 to reduce adulteration of orange juice has been maintained. Milk: The commonest adulterations of milk are not of a hurtful character.