River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-01-08


ties. Its presence may be almost en-
tirely avoided by the use of black and
the uncolored Japan teas
SUGAR.
This Is one of the most widely sus
pected articles in the whole range oil
food products. Whenever the subject oil
adulteration claims individual or public
attention, the saccharine product is al
most instlnctlvely singled out as the un-
| fortunate burden bearer of the frauds
and iniquities of the whole class OF
greedy, reckless food producers and
dealers. The antiquated practice OF
| sanding sugar has given to us a type
| phrase for roguery in business, and the
| shadow CT this obsolete evil seems to
rest upon the article and its manipulate
| ors.
The introduction of other substances
into sugar, for the purpose of adultera.
| ton, may safely be set down as thing oil
the past, and the widespread prejudice
which still exists is not grounded upon
| the condition of the article that now
| finds its way into the market. The evil
dence which we have gathered upon
this point, in the limited number of OBJ
servations which we have been able to
make, simply confirms the testimony
of Prof. Chandler, of New York, and
DR.. Hassall, of London, each of whom
has examined hundreds Of samples oil
sugar without detecting any noticeable
amount of foreign material.
People may, therefore, use any grade
of sugar which is commonly found in
our market, without being apprenensive
lest they be consuming acari, fungus
spherules, starch, wood fibre, gum, mar
BILE dust, chalk whiting, sand, bone dust,
salt, or any other substance found in
the long and appalling lists which have
been mentioned by observers in the
past. But if the article of commerce is
at present unadulterated with any of
these substances, it does not follow that
it is in all cases perfectly pure. Under
the general term sugar is included q
long list of articles which have similar
composition and properties, but which
vary greatly in saccharine effects. The
common variety, or cane sugar, is best
adapted. for culinary purposes. on ac-
count of It's great sweetening power, and
easy soulbility. Grape sugar, on the
other hand, has only two-fiftns of the
sweetening effect of the former variety,
and dissolves slowly in water. Uncrys-
tallizable sugar, another allied COM
pound, is also less valuable than cane
sugar. The presence of either of these
varieties ia cane sugar may be regard
ed as adulteration.
The percentage OF pure cane sugar in
each of the samples examined by us
was determined either by chemical
tests or by means of the polariscope.
Under these tests all of the white sugars
were found to be entirely pure, slight
ly yellow sort gave 9S4 per cent. cane
sugar. Other browner grades gave from
90 to 80 per cent. of cane sugar.
Samples of different grades of brown
sugar, tested with the polariscoue, gave
per centages of "a, Sc, S4, 80 and 7Sper
cent. of cane sugar.
Another interesting fact was noticed
in connection with the observations
with the polariscope, namely: the rela-
tive values of different sorts of so-called
pure sugars; samples of common white
sugar, of cut loaf and of pulverized sug-
ar, gave Identical results when tested
with polarized light, while very dry
white sugar showing very large perfect
crystals, gave q per cent. greater po-
larization than any other samples, indi-
eating several per cent. higher sweeten-
ing power.
Further examinations in this interest
ing field will doubtless lead to new facts
as the subject has received but partial
investigation.
MoLAssES AND sYRUPS.
The saccharine products included UNI
der these designations are of special in
terest on account Of their composite ma
ture, being residual products and there
fore necessarily composed of several in
gradients. Three analyses given lelow
will indicate the principal ingredients
and their relative proportions, earthly
ana organic impurities from the re-
naming content of the article in each
case:
West India Aiolasses. 47& 202 2lp
Sorghum syrup. 45 2S %
Refinery syrup..-.... 81 % ~
These analyses were made by Prof. r.
II. Chandler, of New York.
The following analyses were made by
us: