Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-02-11
Adulterated Food.

It is crime hard TO cheek by IaW.-
Sumptuary laws have always been I'M
popular. The statute-books of civilizs
ed nations are nearly full Of them, but
very few have been executed for any
length Of time. Few men are willing
to institute suit against a dealer OF
adulterated goods. Those, who do;
get more kicks than coppers.' A COM
p,ainant is an iniermer, an unpopular
character in any community. Many
difficulties occur In securing convictions
for making and selling adulterated
goods. Every one should know what
the ordinary authorizations are, and how
they may be detected.
Authorizations may be considered uns
der three groups-namely: deleterious,
fraudulent, and accidental. Deleterious
authorizations directly impair the health,
as arsenical preparations in candies,
copper in pickles, sulphuric acid in
vinegar; fraudulent adulterations are
not harmful to health, and may be
beneficial. Package coffee may con-
tain chlcory, that is less harmful than
coffee. Poor flour or poor soda may be
mixed with good, and the whole mass
Of each sold as good. Poor -four so
chilled, may be more conducive to
health and strength than good. These
cases arc fraudulent deliberations, and
sill health Officers are not very sue
cessful in obtaining convictions IN our
courts, between these courts rule, that
when tie composition Of any article is
well known to seller and buyer, no
fraud exists.
The third growth Of adulterarts con-
sists of such substances as are accident
ly present, as gravel in raw sugar or in
rice, or in raw Coffee. Any one Of
these may have mingled with the pure
articles and so are merely accidental.
Among the common fraudulent
goods are-l, Arrow root, containing
starch of various cheap sorts, as that Of
wheat and potatoes. This fraud is
easily detected by the microscopic
Nearly all grains and vegetables contain
starch but that of each vegetable is
distinctly marked by the peculiar form
of its grains, and so discoverable by the
microscope. .. Brandy is nearly al
ways o fraudulent article. Pure brandy
is distilled from wine; the genuine
article is rarely 10 be obtained. 1t i.
sometimes made from fermented grape
skins, left after the juice has been
pressed out. It Is mere often made
from neutral spirits, colored with burnt
sugar and favored, and glucose added
TO remove its roughness and impart a
smooth taste. Foreign brandy is often
made from potato whisky. Imitation
brandies are often no more injurious
than the genuine. Few persons can
distinguish the difference in favor
Rubbing little between the palms of
the hands may detect an excess of fusel
oil in the adulterated. Good brandy so
treated leaves no disagrteablo odor on
the hands, but adulterated brandy does.
Bakers bread usually contains alum.
When flour is high and potatoes low
bakers use large amount Of potato
yeast. This is not injurious. The ba-
ker gains, because such bread holds
more water that the consumer buys.
Fancy crackers and ginger snaps con-
tain large per cent Of alum. The
poorest -four is often used and SO ma
nipulated as to appear 10 be the best
Chocolate is usually composed OF starch
-four, glucose or dirty sugar. animal
fats and other fraudulent materials.
Ordinary chocolate should be avoided,
rs dirty stuff
Coffee is usually adulterated in some
way. 1t is sometimes roasted and
steamed, and thus the oil is driven out
and used for extracts Ground coffee
is ordinarily composed Of chicory, rye,
peas. beans, or acorns. Steamed cof-
fees arc sometimes added i'm order to
deceive the microscopic, who attempts
to determine its composition by the
microscope. A large amount of coffee
is sophisticated by roasting and sub
iectinS it to a current Of steam, while
still warm. This process drives off the
oil TO be used in making extracts of
coffee, and the berry to absorb water
and increase its weight. A>mieroscope
Of a low power will detect these COM
mon authorizations. Compare the
genuine ground coffee with the fraudu-
lent. Throw the suspected coffee Oh
cold water. Stir it so as to well wet
each particle. Pure coffee will swim
much longer than the adullerants, and
color the water very slowly. Chicor7
sinks and colOrs the water rapidly
Peas sink and color it only slightly ;rye
colors the water more slightly thun
coffee, and sinks more quickly. Chlcsry
is used to color the infusion and give Il
the aspect of strength. Grains of
ground coffee are brittle, and erumble |
between the teeth, Chicory ia softer
and so does not crumble. Ground
roasted peas or rye show their peculiar
shape to the naked eye. All coffees
pass through many exposures to dirt,
dust, and efete fluids. They pass
through many unwashed and filthy
hands, and so are coated with i'm
purlties Of various sorts. Before coffee
is roasted 1t should be well washed
Housekeepers may be surprised to OBJ
serve how much dirt is washed away.