Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-07-09
Butter Adulteration.

We do not know To what extent butter is
adulterated in this country, but we have
supposed that little complaint could be had
on this score. In England, and for aught
We know in tho United States, some addi-
tional weight to butter is obtained by re-.
working and adding water or an extra guam
THY Of salt. High sailing, however, is easily
detected but when the water is added and
skillfully mingled through the butter, il is
not so easily discovered by the ordinary
consumer. Some of the "repacks" in the
london market are very highly froighted
with water and the fraud has been frequent.
ly exposed.
After the establishment of "oleomarpa.
rine" manufacture, butter dealers ia the
regular trade were very justly alarmed lest
this article should be used to adulterate but.
ter. The action of the Butter aud Cheese
Exchange Of New York, deprecating any
such adulteratiOn aud calling attention to
the "oleomargarine" trade, was timely and
lset the hearty approval of all respectable
dealers in dairy produce as well as the dairy
public generally. They say il "oleomarga-
rine' IS to be put upon the market as an
article OF food, let it 60 TO consumers in its
right name and upon its own merits. But
to mingle it with butter is fraud which all
respectable dealers should discountenance.
We do not hear that any attempt has been
made to adulterate butter with "oleomar.
garine )" still it may have been done and the
public made none the wiser for we imagine
it the work was skillfully performed it would
not be 30 easy for the consumer TO detect
the fraud as many imagine. 1t would be
well 1t We had some simple method of de.
tecting such adulteration, aud perhaps some
OF the following tests, which we 6nd in a
recent number of Caswel's Household Guide,
may be found useful. 1t says: "When but
ter is mixed with tallow, it may usually be
detected by melting a little of the butter in
spoon and smelling it, when the smell of
tho tallow may at once be perceived. An.
other way to learn whether this substance
has been added is to melt small piece of
butter at heat not exceeding that of boiling
water and pour it into wine glass then
Immediately pour over it two fluid drains of |
commercial nitric acid (aqua fortis) and
shake them slightly. If the butter employed |
was pure, 1t will rise to the surface and not |
become Opaque for some minutes but if it |
contains much tallow, it will quickly become |
a more or less opaque mass, the nature Of |
the change and the time required depending
ou the amount Of fat present in the adulter.
ated article. Som etimes butter is adulter-
atod with horse-bone OIL In this case, the |
butter is to be shaken up with hot water
until melted, and allowed to collect upon the |
surface. Remove FIVE drops OF this and
place them on watch glass and Immediately
add ten drops of strong suphuric acid. If
the butter has been adulterated with horse
bone oil, deeper color will be produced
than IT the butter did not contain that sub
stance"
In conclusion, we desire to call the atten-
tion OF the Butter and Cheese Exchange to
this matter OF adulterations; and we suggest
that the committee in charge of this branch
give some method to the public by which
" "oleomargarine aduterations Of butter
may be detected by the consumer.-I. A.
Willard an Rural Netp Yorker.