When Cold Storage Adds Weight, Not Value. We’re always warned about adulterated oil, ghee, and spices — but here’s the quiet trick no one talks about: moisture manipulation. That same chana dal or atta, when kept in cold storage, magically puts on a little weight not from quality, but from humidity.
Across kirana staples — pulses, grains, flours, spices about 5–7% weight gain can occur just by storing them under controlled humidity. It’s legal sorcery. You pay for water that you didn’t ask for. And the best part? You can’t even detect it. There’s no consumer-level tool, no open declaration, no comparison. Some food standards even permit higher moisture levels that work in favor of the seller, not the eater. So while you think you’re getting 1kg of masoor dal, you're actually taking home 970g dal and 30g cloud. For traders, it’s quiet profit. For manufacturers, it’s baked into the system. For consumers — it’s just moist theft.
Adulteration doesn’t always need chemicals. Sometimes, it just needs a clever thermometer and your silence.
