Free, independent consumer-safety guide for India
Real or Fake India: simple checks before you buy, borrow or pay
Worried about adulterated paneer, milk or honey? Not sure if a loan app or a shopping website is genuine? We explain the official home tests and online checks in plain language, tell you honestly what each check cannot prove, and point you to the right government channel when something goes wrong.
Worried about food at home?
Run a simple kitchen check for paneer, milk or honey, and learn what the result can and cannot tell you.
About to install a loan app?
Find the bank or NBFC behind the app and confirm the link in RBI’s public directory before you share any details.
Lost money online?
Act fast: call the National Cybercrime Helpline 1930 and file a complaint on the official portal.
Explore
Explore consumer safety by topic
Two areas, one goal: help you notice warning signs early and take the right next step.
Food checks at home
Kitchen-level checks from FSSAI’s DART booklet for common adulterants such as added water, detergent and starch, plus what to read on the label and where to complain.
Online safety checks
Step-by-step checks before you borrow through an app or pay an unfamiliar website, using RBI’s directory and free official tools, plus where to report fraud.
Popular checks
Popular checks and guides
Each guide opens with a two-line Quick Check, then gives numbered steps, the limits of the check, official sources and a short Hindi summary.
Fake paneer check
What it checks: Added starch, using FSSAI’s iodine test (DART booklet).
Keep in mind: No blue colour does not prove paneer is pure: the test cannot find vegetable fat or other substitutes.
Milk purity test
What it checks: Added water, detergent and starch, using FSSAI’s DART tests.
Keep in mind: The foam test is for detergent; starch is checked with iodine. Results are warning signs, not proof.
Pure honey test
What it checks: FSSAI’s simple home tests for honey, and which popular tricks are unreliable.
Keep in mind: Sophisticated sugar syrups need laboratory instruments. No home test can prove honey is pure.
Loan app check
What it checks: Whether the app’s lender is a bank or NBFC, and whether that lender lists the app in RBI’s directory.
Keep in mind: A listing is not an RBI approval or a safety rating. Read the Key Facts Statement before you sign.
Fake shopping website check
What it checks: Seller details the site must show, domain age (ICANN Lookup) and Google Safe Browsing status.
Keep in mind: A padlock or “https” only means the connection is encrypted. Scam sites use it too.
Food adulteration home tests
What it checks: An overview of FSSAI’s quick kitchen checks for milk, paneer, honey and other everyday foods.
Keep in mind: Home tests are a first screening. For certainty, use an accredited lab or complain officially.
Why it matters
Why consumer awareness matters
Everyday food can be adulterated
Adulteration means something cheaper or unwanted is mixed into food. Many problems cannot be seen by eye, so FSSAI publishes simple home tests to help families notice warning signs and ask questions.
Unauthorised loan apps target urgent needs
RBI says only banks, RBI-registered NBFCs and lenders regulated by state governments can lend to the public. Its rules also bar loan apps from reading your contacts, files and media.
Fake shopping sites can look real
The government’s cyber-safety awareness material warns that fraudsters build fake shopping sites with steep discounts on branded products and never deliver after payment.
First visit?
How to use this website in four steps
1
Pick your concern
Choose Food Checks for paneer, milk or honey, or Online Safety for loan apps and shopping websites.
2
Read the Quick Check
Every guide starts with a short answer box, so you know in seconds what the check does.
3
Follow the steps and limits
Do the numbered steps, then read what the check cannot prove before you decide anything.
4
Take the right next step
Keep the pack or bill, verify before you pay, or complain through the official channel we link.
Spot it early
Warning signs at a glance
One warning sign is a reason to check more carefully, not proof that a product, app or website is fake.
Food warning signs
- A packed food label with no FSSAI logo and licence or registration number. (A licence number shows the seller is registered; it does not prove purity.)
- A product sold as paneer whose ingredients list starch or vegetable fat. Dairy look-alikes must not be presented as dairy.
- Honey sold simply as “honey” that lists added sugar or syrup.
- A home test that shows a warning sign, such as a blue colour with iodine or dense lather in milk. Stop using it and keep the pack.
Online warning signs
- A loan app that will not name its bank or NBFC, or a lender that does not show the app in RBI’s directory.
- An app that asks for access to your contacts, photos or files.
- No Key Facts Statement with the full cost of the loan before you sign.
- A shopping site with huge discounts on branded products, no legal name, address or grievance officer, or a very new web address.
- A payment link from an unknown sender. Type the website address yourself instead.
Featured article
How to Check if Your Food Is Real or Fake: Easy Home Tests
A complete, beginner-friendly walk-through of FSSAI’s quick kitchen checks for milk, paneer, honey and other everyday foods, with a summary table of what each test can find, its limits, and where to complain.
This guide at a glance
- 5step-by-step guides
- 143facts checked against their sources
- 7official resources linked
- 0paid promotions
Sources last checked on 9 October 2026.
Get help
Official resources and complaint channels
We are not linked to any of these bodies. Always confirm numbers and steps on the official website before you act.
FSSAI Food Safety Connect
Complain about unsafe or adulterated food online or in the app. FSSAI toll-free: 1800112100 (7:00 AM to 11:00 PM).
FSSAI DART booklet
FSSAI’s official booklet of quick home tests for common food adulterants.
RBI Digital Lending Apps directory
Check whether a regulated lender has reported a loan app. On rbi.org.in, go to Citizen’s Corner, then “DLA’s deployed by Regulated Entities”.
RBI Complaint Management System
For complaints against a bank or NBFC after you have complained to the lender first. Not all lenders are covered.
Cybercrime helpline 1930
Lost money online or harassed by a fake loan app? Call 1930 and file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
National Consumer Helpline 1915
A real seller refuses a refund or does not deliver: call 1915 (8 AM to 8 PM) or WhatsApp +918800001915.
Sanchar Saathi Chakshu
Report suspected fraud calls, SMS or WhatsApp messages. If you have already lost money, use 1930 instead.
Need help choosing? Read the Online Safety hub or the Food Checks hub for the right channel for your problem.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can a home test prove my food is safe?
No. FSSAI says its DART booklet of home tests is meant for awareness. A result is a warning sign, not proof. Never eat a tested sample, and keep iodine tincture away from children.
What should I do if a home test shows a warning sign?
Stop using the product, keep the pack and bill, and complain through FSSAI’s Food Safety Connect portal or app. For a certain answer, the food has to be tested in a laboratory.
Does RBI approve loan apps?
No. RBI regulates banks and NBFCs (non-banking financial companies), not apps. It publishes a directory where you can check whether a regulated lender has reported an app.
Is a loan app safe if it is listed in RBI’s directory?
Not automatically. The directory shows information reported by the lenders themselves. Still read the Key Facts Statement, check the fees and refuse access to your contacts and photos.
Does a padlock mean a shopping website is genuine?
No. A padlock or “https” only means the connection is encrypted. Scam sites use it too, so check the seller details, the age of the web address and reviews outside the site.
Is this website free, and who runs it?
Yes, every guide is free with no sign-up. It is an independent student project by Sandeep Singh, not linked to FSSAI, RBI or any government body. Read about the project.
Trust and transparency
How we keep this guide honest
Official sources
Each guide links to the official FSSAI, RBI or government pages it is based on, so you can check for yourself.
Honest limits
Every guide has a “Limits” box. Home tests are a first screening and online checks reduce risk; neither gives a guarantee.
Dated and corrected
Guides show a “Last checked” date (9 October 2026). Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will correct it.
Independent
No paid promotions, and we never call a named brand, app or shop fake. Read our disclaimer and privacy policy.
Check before you trust
Start with the guide that matches your worry today. Each one takes only a few minutes to read.