Identify Real Saffron & Avoid Fake Saffron? | Types of Cheating in saffron

How to identify original saffron

In this paper, we mention some ways to identify the real saffron vs fake saffron. Surely the question of How to check if saffron is genuine, How to identify original saffron, How to spot fake saffron, and How to identify fake saffron has come to you. The answers to these questions lie in this article. The following ways are almost simple and can be used by everyone.

Introduction of How to check if saffron is genuine

If you have a question about how to know saffron is original before you buying, it is natural for you.

 

Although pure Iranian saffron in laboratories is easy to identify, it is not easy for consumers to detect the real saffron vs fake saffron. Increasing the weight of saffron by dipping this plant in fat, honey, etc. is the most professional method of cheating in selling saffron. Painting the white parts of this plant with the natural color of saffron is the most respectable method of cheating red gold.

Also pouring inferior saffron in packages is another way of cheating in saffron wholesale. The diagnosis is not known, but the information obtained may help you when purchasing this product. One way to cheat on the Iranian saffron is to dip its stigmas in some fat, sugar, salt, or honey to increase its weight.

 

In this way, fraudsters cheat professionally and it is not easy to tell whether saffron is pure or not. Because they have been trying this for months to make more money by dipping the plant in other substances. Highly skilled fraudsters spray the material as a solution to saffron stigmas.

 

Then when it dries, the weight of the saffron increases, which is not easily recognizable. The saffron trade, like many other trades, can be a fraud. Therefore, identifying original saffron and fake saffron is an issue that buyers should pay attention to when they want to buy the saffron. But what are the methods of distinguishing original and fake saffron?

How to Identify Real Saffron & Avoid Fake Saffron?

Although Iran produces more than 90% of the world’s saffron, according to a report published in December 2009, one of the methods of cheaters for this product is to mix fake saffron with the original saffron. Then they package and sell it.

 

Since the quality of saffron is different and most people do not know this, it is better to first get acquainted with the basic methods of distinguishing original saffron from fake saffron. The methods of distinguishing different types of saffron are very simple. One of the easiest ways to identify a fake product is to pay attention to the standards on the product packaging.

How to spot fake saffron?

How to spot fake saffron? There are standards for the quality of the food industry all over the world; There are several standards for saffron. These saffron standards indicate that no foreign matter has been added to natural saffron. Therefore, one of the methods that can be used to ensure the quality of saffron is to check the standards.

 

Therefore, it is better to refrain from buying saffron that does not have the product standard. Each country that produces saffron has its quality standard for saffron. This standard is dedicated to different categories of saffron; To check aroma, taste, and color, all types of saffron are evaluated with the same standards. This standard also offers suggestions for things like how to pack saffron.

What is imitation saffron?

Among the common frauds ways in saffron and selling imitation saffron, the following can be mentioned: Dyeing saffron cream is often done with dye extracted from stigmas or other natural or artificial colors. Then it is mixed with saffron. Re-dyeing the saffron that has already been used and using stigmas from the flowers of other saffron species, which are usually shorter and free of compounds.

 

Weigh saffron by storing it in moist areas or even spraying small particles of water and soaking it in oil, honey, glycerin, or solutions of potassium or ammonium nitrate, sugar, or sodium sulfate. There is more fraud in the trade of powdered saffron. Because fraudsters add red soil to ground saffron to gain weight. The most important fraud that takes place is the use of safflower, which is very similar to saffron.

How to identify fake saffron? | Diagnosis by looking at saffron:

– Negin: This type of large saffron is without cream and without breakage and softness, which is stronger than Sargol in terms of appearance and color.

 

– Sargol saffron: It is in the form of pure saffron without cream (without yellowness) which has three separate branches.

 

– Poushal saffron: It is connected in the form of three strands of stigmas, which makes them have more volume. In this type of saffron, the possibility of fraud is very low, therefore, some people prefer to buy this type of saffron because they say this type of saffron is genuine. However, if you buy saffron from trustworthy companies, you shouldn’t have any worries.

 

– Dasteh saffron: Stigma with cream 4-5 cm. Strings are categorized into one-way and two-way. Another important point in distinguishing original saffron from fake is that the color of saffron should also be considered carefully; Because saffron is not very shiny.

 

How to tell if saffron is real? | Smelling saffron

The aroma of pure saffron is very special and has a combination of the smell of honey and alfalfa. Well, it’s usually hard to tell for people who aren’t very familiar with the smell of honey and alfalfa.

 

How to identify pure saffron? | Taste of saffron

Saffron contains a compound called picrocrocin, which is responsible for the taste of saffron and makes it taste bitter. Pure saffron has a bitter and astringent taste and is never sweet. If it tasted sweet, it would be probably honey to increase its weight.

To test the taste of saffron, all you have to do is ask the seller to give you 3 or 4 strands of saffron that you are going to buy and put it on your tongue and taste it for a few seconds; then put the strands on a napkin. Pour it on clean paper and dry them. Even if the taste was bitter but the texture of the paper turned red, saffron is not original. Also note that when saffron is placed between paper or newspaper and pressed, no grease stains will remain. Keep in mind that saffron originally smells sweet but its taste is not sweet at all.

 

How to identify the original kesar? Honey or oil detection methods in Iranian saffron

The first time you saw the question of how to identify original kesar, you must have wondered what the word saffron means. This word is mostly used in India and means saffron. Although it is easy to identify whether or not saffron is pure in laboratories, it is not easy for consumers to identify the real saffron vs fake saffron.

One can crush the saffron among his fingers or on a paper. Therefore, he can notice if there exists a particular substance on the paper or if the fingers become greasy. Using this method you can understand if the saffron is impregnated with a special grease to make it heavier.

 

Features of original saffron

One of the problems in trading saffron is recognizing the genuine saffron. Of course, by selling fake saffron, cheaters make a lot of money. It may be difficult for many buyers to distinguish genuine saffron from fake saffron. No one wants to find out after spending a lot of money to buy saffron that what he bought was fake saffron.

 

By knowing the methods of distinguishing genuine saffron from fake, you can prevent the cheater from making a profit. Although pure Iranian saffron in laboratories is easy to identify, it is not easy for consumers to detect the real saffron vs fake saffron. Increasing the weight of saffron by dipping this plant in fat, honey, etc. is the most professional method of cheating in selling saffron. Painting the white parts of this plant with the natural color of saffron is the most respectable method of cheating red gold. Also pouring inferior saffron in packages is another way of cheating in saffron wholesale.

 

The diagnosis is not known, but the information obtained may help you when purchasing this product. One way to cheat on the Iranian saffron is to dip its stigmas in some fat, sugar, salt, or honey to increase its weight. In this way, fraudsters cheat professionally and it is not easy to tell whether saffron is pure or not. Because they have been trying this for months to make more money by dipping the plant in other substances. Highly skilled fraudsters spray the material as a solution to saffron stigmas.

 

Then when it dries, the weight of the saffron increases, which is not easily recognizable. You can crush the saffron among your fingers or on paper. Therefore, you can notice if there exists a particular substance on the paper or if the fingers become greasy. Using this method you can understand if the saffron is impregnated with a special grease to make it heavier.

 

Knowing the original saffron

There are some methods by which you can find out whether the saffron is original or not. In the following, we will review some of them.

testing with cold water

In this method, you have to put saffron in water. After 5 to 10 minutes, the real saffron strands turn the watercolor into a golden yellow. Also, note that the diffusion of saffron color is slow and stable, so if it gives color quickly, it means that saffron is not the original and has been added to that color.

Using gasoline

Finally, using gasoline, we can distinguish genuine saffron from fake saffron. The color of saffron fibers is not soluble in gasoline, which means that if we throw a few fibers in gasoline, it should not color the gasoline.

 

Cheating in saffron

Saffron is the best and most expensive spice in the world. The limited production and high price have caused the cheaters to sell fake saffron to the customer instead of the original saffron. The rate of cheating in saffron is very high.

The cheaters, regardless of the financial losses inflicted on saffron consumers, are only thinking of their greater profit and endangering people’s health by producing fake saffron. With the advancement of technology, this work has become easier for these people, and every day they invent new methods for food fraud.

Fraud in saffron weakens its market, which in turn causes losses to the hardworking farmers of our land. In this article, we will examine the various methods of fraud in saffron and ways to identify them.

The original and fake saffron

Saffron is one of those products that you should pay attention to when buying to choose the best type. There are many ways to cheat in the sale of saffron, and we will describe a few of them.

Increasing the weight of saffron by adding impurities to it:

One of the methods that is used in cheating in saffron is Spraying small particles of water or storing and placing saffron in wet places causes the weight of saffron to increase. In this method, professional fraudsters with high skill spray a certain amount of water on saffron stigmas, which is very difficult to detect.

In other cases, it adds substances such as sugar, salt, or honey to powdered saffron, which is difficult for the buyer to distinguish in appearance.

Coloring the whiteness (cream) of saffron:

This method is one of the most common methods of cheating in saffron. Cheaters mix saffron cream with the dye extracted from the saffron stigma and sell the white part of the saffron dye as the main saffron to the buyers. This method of fraud has no harm to human health and only the buyer suffers a financial loss.

Using artificial color in fake saffron

It is very dangerous to use the illegal dye “Tartrazine E102” called (“صفار الزعفران” or “Saffron yellow”) which is also bought as a souvenir by the pilgrims of the House of God in recent years. This was also a method of cheating in saffron.

Consumption of this substance will cause the following diseases:

• Hyperactivity in children
• Digestive and asthmatic problems
• Thyroid tumors
• Exacerbation of migraine
• Blurred vision
• Allergies and skin problems such as purpura

In some cases, these artificial colors are used to dye saffron-like strands such as corn cobs which can be easily detected in the laboratory due to their low staining power.

Adding string-like ingredients to the main saffron

In this method, string-like materials that are almost similar in appearance to saffron are added to a small amount of the original saffron to increase the likelihood of deceiving the customer. Another method of cheating in saffron was this way.

fake plant ingredients added to saffron usually include:

Marigold
Turmeric
Poppy flower
Pomegranate flower
Corn cobs
Clove
Wheat root

Ways to identify the original saffron from fake saffron

Saffron is a precious spice and at the same time has various medicinal properties and applications. So it is not surprising that cheaters are always looking for a way to deceive the buyers of this valuable spice.

Here are some ways to detect fake saffron.

Original saffron flavor

Original saffron has a bitter taste and sweet aroma. Having any taste other than his, such as saltiness or sweetness, indicates the addition of impurities of saffron.

Using straw paper

Pour some saffron on the straw paper and fold the paper, then gently press the paper. Open the paper. If you see the effect of fat on the paper, your saffron is fake.

The features of the original saffron

Saffron stigma has 3 strands and its end is trumpet-shaped.

Another appearance feature to consider is that saffron strands are curved but the corn cob is straight.

If the saffron stigmas are very shiny, it is doubtful and it should be sent to the laboratory.

 

 

Using methane gas flame

Methane gas is a powerful detector for detecting fake saffron.

Place the saffron pieces on a butane gas flame. If the saffron is pure, it will turn purple or orange, which is related to its potassium. But if it is fake, yellow saffron is produced.

Using boiling water

Pour some saffron in boiling water and wait a few minutes. If the color of the saffron strands turns white, your saffron is fake. Because the color of the original saffron does not change quickly in boiling water.

Using baking soda

Baking soda is one of the solvents of saffron. The original saffron turns yellow in baking soda and the fake saffron turns bright red.

In conclusion, it is not always easy to identify the real saffron vs fake saffron. However, if you buy saffron from certified companies, you won’t have any worry regarding this issue. If you need pure saffron, you have come to the right place. We test our saffrons in reputable laboratories in the country and deliver the test sheet to the customer. So there is no need to worry about the quality of Ana Qayen saffron.

 

Ana Qayen Saffron can supply 1 ton of saffron per month. Iran is the largest producer of saffron in the world. For example, in the video below, we sent 150 kilos of saffron to one of our Arab customers.

About Ana Qayen

We are a supplier of Iranian saffron and we supply saffron from the best fields of saffron in Iran. It should be mentioned that nearly 90 percent of saffron in the world is produced in Iran. We have also an agency in Lyon, France and you can also buy our saffron in Europe. Apart from saffron, we also supply other products from Iran including pistachio, rosebuds, Mazafati Date, and barberry.

 

If you want to buy any product from Iran, we can supply you. You may contact us via the Contact us page or WhatsApp. Also, you may see our different saffron packaging on our Buy saffron online page.

 

 

  When you want to buy saffron in bulk, you should be sure about the quality of the saffron that you are buying. Our saffron has got a European certificate from SAI CHIMIE lab which is one of the most famous labs in Europe.

 

Also, our saffron is packaged in different and luxurious packages. You can see our different packing below. You can buy saffron in bulk with these packages in our online shop. You can also find us on social media via Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, and Youtube. In the following, you can see our different packaging of saffron.

 

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