The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-12-16
ARTIFICIAL BUTTER.
AS GOOD AS THE REAL THING AT HALF
THE COST.

ARTIFICIAL BUTTER.
AS GOOD AS THE REAL THING AT HALF
THE COST.
A few years ago it was discovered that a
/ large per centage of the butter offered for
sale in the New York markets was a man
ufactured article, bearing about the same
relation to COW that the famous French
man from Cork does to France. Most of
the artificial butter was very inferior ar
ticle and could be readily detected from the
/ genuine by any one having the slightest
knowledge of the subject. Some of the
bogus butter, however, was fair imitation,
but the popular prejudice against it was SO
strong that it was almost Immediately with
drawn from the markets, and since that
time there has been a prevalent impression
that its manufacture had entirely ceased.
or, if manufactured at all, is only used for
the adnlteration of the legitimate article
and is never placed in market entirely up
on its own merits.
| The facts, however, we are assured by no
other authority than the Scientific Anseri-
can, are altogether against such a conclu-
sion, and prove that at the present day the
manufacture of artificial butter is carried
on to larger extent than at any previous
time, no less than so factories now being
in full operation in New York, supplying,
| it is estimated, at least one fourth of all
the butter consumed in that city, and of a
| quality that almost defies detection even by
chemical analysis. There is, of course,
says the Scientific american, a duplicity in
| this business which is reprehensble, but if
people cannot distinguish the made from
the natural product, and if the former is,
as reported by Professor Chandler, actually
more healthful and palatable than the aver
age COW butter, it is difficult to see where
the harm is, save that to the moral sense
which would be argued only by strict NOR
alists.
The credit of the discovery of the pro-
cess for the manufacture of a compound
which so nearly resembles butter as to prac-
ticaly meet every requirement of that arti-
Gle, belongs to DR.. E. A. Mott, E. NJ, a
promising young chemist of New York
city, who, for some years back, has been
engaged in investigating the subject.
At recent meeting of the Chemical
Society, of New York, DR.. Mott read a
paper on artificial butter, giving complete,
details of his process for its manufacture
which he has patented, and by which he is
able to produce, not tallow colored, flavor
ed and otherwise disguised as butter, but
butter itself. This fact will be seen at once
and admitted when known that chemical
analysis of cream butter gives the follow
ing result water, 1929, and solids, ST.
parts per 100. OF artificial butter: water
| 1905, solids, 1896. Amount of casn in
the artificial product is shown by the detail
ed analysis to be a little higher than in the
natural butter (0745 to 0.19) but not suffi
cient to make any difference. Comparing
the facts proves that there is very sma II
amount of butyrin in the artificial product,
and herein lies the chief disparity, which
|
while sufficient butyrin exists to afford the
necessary odor and flavor, there is not
enough to render the butter rancin by de-
composition, as is the case with pure COW
butter.
Dr. Motifs process of manufacture is as
follows: The fat, after being weighed, is
thoroughly and repeatedly washed in tepid
and cold water. 1t is then disintegrated
in a meat washer and forced though fine
seive. Next it is placed in melting tank
surrounded by water at a temperature Of
| 11G degrees Fab, and there kept until the
fat reaches 124 degrees Fab. During this
process the material is constantly stirred.
After the scrap has settled the clear yellow
oil is drained off in cans and left for from
~ to "a hours in a room at 70 degrees Fab.
to granulate. The refined fat is now pack
ed in cloth in small package about 8 inches
long, by inches wide and Il thick, and
these are placed on metal plates and piled
one above another in a press. Gradual
pressure is applied by which the oil is
driven out and pure white cakes of stearin
is left. The oil is being cooled to 20 de-
grees Fab, is next churned with sour milk,
annatto and soda, 100 lbs. of oil being used
to Is or 90 lbs. of milk, 3 or. of annatto
solution and three quarters of an ounce of
bicarbonate of soda. This mixture is agi-
tated for 10 or Is minutes, and then poured
in tub of pounded ice with which it is
thoroughly mingled. This process COM
-pletely removes the grain in the fat. After
the ice melts, the oil, which by this time
has become soidifed, is crumbed and 80
pounds of it are put in a churn with o.
pounds of churned sour milk. Here it
takes up per centage of the milk as well
as the butter flavor and odor, after which
the compound having now assumed not
only the appearance Of butter, but also its
character. is worked and sailed in the usual
way and finally is packed in firkins, etc ,
| for the market.
The Hon. y. A. Willard, President of
the New York State Dairymen's Associa-
ton, who is an able butter expert, has ex-
amined some of the butter made by the
above process and admits his surprise at
the general excellence of the article, and
says it is the best yet made. The cost of
the manufacture is stated to be about 13
cents per pound, and if the prejudice of
the people could be overcome so that there
would be no necessity for deception in the
matter, factories would spring up all over
the country, and we might soon look for a
complete revolution in the butter market.
Dairymen who are now charging 40 and
so and sometimes as high as So cents a
pound would have to either lower their
prices or discontinue the business for
the want of custom; and another advan-
tage-there would not be that huctuation
in prices now prevalent, which makes it
impossible for one to know to day wha the
will have to pay for butter tom orrow, and