The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-12-15
ADULTERATIONS.
Cheap and Inferior Substitutes - How
They arc Mixed With Butter, Sugar
Lard. ETC., and Sold tor the Genuine
Arftcl

Ancy arc MIxcO WIN OuttcTs sugar
LAID. Etc, and Sold for the Genuine
Article.
Nearly every article of food that is
sold can safely be said to be more or less
adulterated. Not that the pure article
cannot be bought or that all dealers are
dishonest, but that the purchaser must
know what he is about or he will in
many instances be given adulterated
substances. Indeed, in some cases, it
may be said that the customer prefers
the adulterated to the pure article, so
depraved has his taste become by the
long continued use of the former. In
stances are many where people have be-
come 80 accustomed to drink coffee
mixed with chicory, peas and the like
that they will send back to the store as
inferior in taste the very best Java. This,
however, is no excuse for deceit.
Adulteration has now become a fine
art, and in those articles on which there
is but a small margin of profit when
sold legltlmately it is carried on with
skill worthy Of a better cause. For in
stance, 8 firm, whose mandatory is in
South Brooklyn, is making and selling
as butter substance which has not even
the merit of oleomarge arinto recon-
mend it. Oleaine (the oil of fat), lard
and good butter are melted in O tank
and thoroughly mixed, when it is put
into new Welsh tubs and sold to ship.
pers as butter. Such little butter as is
used in this process is really of o fine
grade, but it is only used to give color
and flavor to the substance. Of course,
much money is made by this deception.
Sugar, however, is more largely
adultel ated than any other article, as is
we'll kno n. Oftentimes the legitimate
profit on this article is very small, and
then the disreputable dealers resort to
ways that are dark" to increase their
returns. For instance, grape sugar
(made together with glucose from corn)
is used as an adulterator. It is ground
very fine and then mixed with refined
sugar. The manufacturers of this SUBJ
stance do not refine their own sugar,
but purchase it from the large reiners.
The latter latterly refused to sell to
these dealers because the sale of the IN
adulterated article interfered with their
own business. The mixture costs about
three and a quarter cents q pound,
while the cheapest sugar cannot be pur-
chased for less than seven cents, and
there is n%seluently a large profit. 1t
is understood, however, that the manu-
facturers OF this mixture have now no
difficulty in purchasing refined sugar,
and are prosecuting their business with
success. 1t is difficult to detect the
adulteration, but grape sugar has no
| grain and will leave q sediment in the
cup.
New Orleans molasses is also initiated
by mixing glucose, worth about forty
two cents a gallon, and "black strap"
st twenty cents a gallon, and other sub
stances, creating a syrup of a rich amber
color, which is much sought after by
many buyers, who imagine they are
purchasing the best. Those who wish
the real genuine syrup should buy that
having q very dark color. The adulter-
alton is put up in secondhand New
Orleans molasses ~hogsheads, the dealers
paying thirty.fve cents apiece more tor
these than for new barrels Of a different
make.
Again there is what is known as 8
Scotch process Of adulterating sugar.
Many persons are complaining nova
days that they car nc longer sweeten
their coffee or tea. Where they tor
merly pnt in only one "teaspoonful they
are obliged now to increase the quantity
threefold. The reason can soon be ex-
planned. The makers take good imported
sugar, boil and reboil it. The syrup
thus made they mix with yellow sugar,
making the brown, damp, soggy sugar
so large y sold at the corne groceries.
The difference in price between it and
@Eo Lo,t -,h;ko o,, 20 Nr1u ohN1f fWN
cents q pound, but the latter contains loo
per cent. more sweetness; so that the
latter is really the cheaper article. In
making 1000 barrels of this sugar about
fifty barrels of syrup are used.
f. is said, for the Cuban market. The
stuff sent there is said to be made up OF
lard, tallow, and what is known as gut
lard" besides other things which need
not be mentioned. Why this stuff should
be 80 largely exported to Cuba, wfile
only the best refined lard is sent to South
America, is q mystery. but so lis. The
continent OF Europe also imports a fair
quality Of lard. Our home consumption
consists mainly Of the natural lard,
unrefned.
And so through long list of articles
do authorizations extend. That the
Chinese color tea for the American
market, though they do not drink it
themselves, is we'll known. The holds
of coffee vessels are swept and the leav-
ings are preserved, cleaned slightly, and
then sold as a sort of combination coffee;
but any one knowing of what the COM
bination sometimes consists would be
slow in purchasing any more.-NeU
York Commercial Bulletin.