The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-02-05
Harirnlt TT d | t.
Food and Drink

Food and Drink.
It's startling to learn the extent to Snicn
.onhistication is carried IN all artlcies VI
marketable produce, and especially those
which form our daily food. Authorizations
a.. of three distinct kinds The first is the
employment OF materials to increase the
bull. and weight Of articles, the adulteration
being cheaper than the articles to which 1t
is added. The second is the addition of ma
terials either to improve the appearance OF
articles Of bad quality, or to give false APP
pearance of articles otherwise genuine
The third kind consists in the addition OIL
materials to improve the flavor OF articles, as
to increase bitterness, pungensy, &c
Nany substances are used which effect all /
these purposes at once.
Rread made from wheaton -four 10 ire I
ou.ntly adultera cd with flour OF other ard
cheaper grains, AMI more particularly with
that from Indian corn, lice anu tatoss
pea and -four; chalk, bonedust phosphate
Of lime, plaster OF Paris, white clay, ana
alum.
Butter is not seriously adulterate1. Aside
from the free use Of salt and water, intend
ed 10 increase its weight, there may perhaps
be found that lard is introduced into it; but
this is rarely the case.
Cayenne Pepper is adulterated with in
gradients Of the most deadly character
These are common salt in large quantities,
red earth, brick dust, rice, turmcric, mus
tard -husks, cclored saw dust, red lead, and
vermillion.
Chicory, the great adulterator Of coffe, is
itself largely aduterated with carrot, par
snip, maugel-wurzei, lupins, aeorns, dam
aged corn, damaged biscuit, burnt sugar,
and red earth.
Cocoa or Chocolate, is adulterated with
-four, starch, sugar, mutton tat, common
tallow. red earth, fuIlers' earth, red lead,
vermilion, and chalk. Genuine flake cocoa
cannot be sold under % or so cents per 10;
therefore all sold below that price is adult
Grated.
Coffee, besides being adulterated with
chicory, is sometimes injured by mixture
of peas, which being burned, can only bC
detected by the thick, muddy character o.
the grounds.
Confectionery and Sweetmcats are sophis
ticated in vile manner. The substances
used fsr this purpose are clay, chalk, p!aS'
tor of Paris, preparations of lead, nurcury
and copper, and numerous others, all des'
tructive poisons-
Preserved Fruits and Vegetables, of a
green color, often have a solution OF copper
added IL them TO preserve their original CO.
lor in fresh state.
2
tine, which is commercially OF less valu,
than isinglass.
Mat LIQUORS are not adulterated to thu
extent generally supposed. Besides salt anC
water tobacco decoe;ion, .cOcuiuS indIcus
and suiphate of iron are used.
Mustard is an article which it is next to i'm
possible to obtain pure 1t always centain:
turmeric: in most cases, wheaton -four, anC
sometimes raoe-seed.
Penper, both white and black, is very sub
ject to aGuItcration. 1t is often mixed viii
powdered husks OF mustard, which are open
lysoid for tbs purpose, as are also tht
.wecpings from the pepper warehouse, un
der the name of p, d., or pepper-dust; anC
vet an inferior kind of this adu'teration j:
sold under the name Of ID. p. d., s;:niiyin!
the dust or dir, of peppar-dust. There are
also for this purpose !insecd, muStard-seed
wheaton flour, pea -four, and ground rice.
Pickle. are put up with suphGric acid and
copper, the first to increase the sharpness
of the vinegar, the second to render the veg
etables green; and this article II often used
in poisonous quantities.
Sauces OF almest all kinds have for thciI
base, simply, mo!asses and salt. Sometime:
charcoal and oxalatc oflime are added. 10
mato sauce is subject TO ce'orins. and 10
this purpose the earth called bole ArmenIat
is generally used. Essences of holsters
shrimps, and ancnovies are aise colored wit!
the same earth.
Sugars are deterioratcd with an animal
cu!a of the Acarus family, spontaneou
product of the sugar Itself. Cheap, coarS
sugars are most liable to be infested witt
this insect. The London Lancet CommiS
sion have come to the conclusion ~ that tn
brown sugars OF commerce are, in general
in a state wholly unfit for human cousump
ton"
Tea is largely adulteratel, not only b,
our own grocerS, but by the Chinese them
selves, who are n the habit oil subs Itutln:
the leaves of severrI other plants for thos
Of the genuine tea. Catech, powerful as
trinsent; logwood, black lead, starch, min
eral green, verdigris, and Dutch pink, all o
which are pernicious, and some eGuivaian
to slow poisons, made use OF to give
peculiar color or erspiness to different END
cftea.
Vinegar has for its active principle aceu
acid, which, combined with large proper
lions of water, constitutes genuine vinegar
When to much water is added, resort Is haC
to sulphuric acid to replace the acidity
which has been lost. Chill and grains o
pradise are also used 10 give puDgency
while burnt sugar is used to color. The
dark colored vinegars usually the least
pure. Vinegar is naturally Of a brlgh; am
Der tint.