Strategies for Identification and Mitigation of Sanguinarine in Mustard Oil Adulterated by Argemone—A Comprehensive Review

ABSTRACT Recent concerns on health issues due to toxicity in mustard oil and mustard‐related products owing to their adulteration with argemone has raised concerns regarding its composition, compounds responsible for toxicity, and methods to mitigate if present in mustard products especially oil. This review article examines the main toxic compound present in argemone, that is, sanguinarine, and informs about other sources. This article also examines extraction and detection methods, physical and chemical behaviors, biological effects, toxicity mechanisms, and regulatory challenges. It evaluates analytical techniques and digital methods for their effectiveness in detecting food adulteration. Sanguinarine is found in some plant species and animal feed additives, but the high variability in its levels makes standardization difficult. It remains stable at cooking temperatures, especially in acidic food environments, which retains its toxicity. Studies show that sanguinarine toxicity can lead to epidemic dropsy or chronic diseases through DNA intercalation and immune system suppression. Regulatory efforts face challenges due to economic motivations for adulteration as well as technical, social, and infrastructure barriers. Novel thermal and nonthermal processing technologies present a scope to degrade Sanguinarine type molecules, leading to a safer food. Future research should also focus on quick cost‐effective detection in food systems.