Milk & Milk Products — Starch Screen with Iodine

What the iodine screen detects

FSSAI's DART material gives a simple colour reaction for detecting starch in milk and milk products such as khoya, chenna and paneer. Iodine reacts with starch and a blue colour is the rapid-screen signal. This check is useful because starch may be added to increase apparent solids or alter texture. It does not tell whether the product has other adulterants or whether the whole product is safe.

Milk and solid products are handled differently

For liquid milk, the FSSAI rapid instruction notes that adding water and boiling are not required before the iodine step. For khoya, chenna or paneer, a small sample is mixed with water, heated, cooled and then tested. The sample must be cooled before iodine is added. Kitchen Check should show separate step cards so users do not apply the solid-food method to milk.

Use only a labelled ready-made iodine product

The app should never teach users to prepare iodine solutions from iodine crystals or potassium iodide. Official laboratory manuals include reagent preparation and chemical cautions, but that is not suitable for a general household feature. If the consumer uses this rapid screen, only a ready-made tincture of iodine with an intact label should be considered, and its own handling warnings must be followed.

The tested portion is not food anymore

Once iodine has been added, the tested portion must not be eaten, tasted or returned to the original container. Use only a small sample and discard it safely. The app should make this warning visible before the user starts. Children should not handle the reagent unsupervised, and iodine must be stored according to its label.

How to read the result

A blue colour is the positive screen described by FSSAI for starch. No blue colour means the screen did not detect starch under those test conditions. It does not mean the product is completely pure. Other thickeners, quality problems or safety issues require different methods. Therefore the result should say 'starch screen positive' or 'starch not detected by this rapid screen', not simply 'adulterated' or 'pure'.

Avoid internet variations

Many online posts change quantities, add unrelated chemicals or combine several tests. Kitchen Check should freeze only the official rapid method version and should not let user-generated tips alter the steps. If FSSAI updates DART, the content version can be updated centrally. This makes the feature safer than an open recipe-style adulteration forum.

When official confirmation matters

A repeated positive screen in a purchased product may justify reporting or formal testing, especially if several packs from the same batch are involved. Keep the original packaging and purchase details. FSSAI states that consumers can approach notified laboratories or the Food Safety Department for testing. The home iodine colour reaction is an awareness tool, not evidence equivalent to a regulated laboratory report.