Adulterant

An adulterant is a pejorative term for a substance found within other substances such as food, fuels or chemicals, although it should not be present for some reason. It will not normally be present in any specification or declared contents of the substance, and may not be legally allowed. The addition of adulterants is called adulteration. The most common reason for adulteration is the use by manufacturers of undeclared materials that are cheaper than the correct and declared ones. The adulterants may be harmful, or reduce the potency of the product, or they may be harmless.