The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-05-11
SOMETHING ABOUT SUGAR.
SPRINevILLE, May 18th, 1881.
Editors Herald:

4
Editors Herald:
About year ago a new branch o.
sugar was introduced into eastern
markets from New York, under the
title Of New Process Sugar" II
ranks with the soft yellowish coffee
sugars, is rather good looking, and
has the marvellous quality of under
selling other sugars Of like grade.
| The makers of this product do not
hesitate to state, that the secret of
improvement of the new process"
is in the mixing of straight sugars
with about 20 per cent. of starch
sugar, or artificial grape sugar. The
grocer TO whom this new fabrication
is introduced knows that the re-
duction Of a half cent per pound in
the price of this sugar is due to the
admixture Of at least 20 per cent. of
starch sugar, worth only about SIC.
per pound, while straight sugar
would cost II or SC. Suppose the
grocer in retailing this sugar, tells
his customers this new process
sugar" has 20 or 80 per cent. of
artificial grape sugar mixed with it,
and is consequently not so sweet,
and that he could sell it half cent
cheaper than the old process sugar
of the same color, would the con-
Sumers understand this, and buy the
sugar, or would they prefer to buy
the straight sugar and starch sugar
separately, and do the mixing them
selves? But, suppose he had no
time to talk so much over a few
pounds of sugar, or had some other /
reasons not to enlighten his custom
ers on the subject, would he not be /
selling adulterated sugar? Artificial
grape sugar, or starch sugar, is /
from starch by boiling 4
it with acids, and is by no means
qualified to take the place of cane
sugar, for it has neither its solubility,
its sweetness and flavor, nor its
effect as an article of
food or condiment. To mix it with
cane sugar and to sell IL as such,
without proper warning, is simply |
an act OF adulteration practised on
The poorer classes, who, in their
ignorance, are made to pay TIC. for
What is worth only sac.
Starch sugar melts at boiling heat
# water; cane sugar remains solid
It this temperature. Starch sugar
ugar requires more water for solu-
ion than cane sugar; one pound of |
tarch sugar needs about two pounds
# water; one pound of cane sugar
My half pound of water; and it
equires two and half units of :
tarch sugar to make a given guam
ity of water as sweet as one unit of
ane sugar.
A very simple plan for testing the !
article, based on the !
Ow melting point Of the starch
ugar. is as follows: The water in :
be tea kettle isIbrought to a boil, the 3
ID removed, and in its stead fat :
in plate is placed on the brim of J
he kettle, care being taken not to
It the upper side of the plate get
ret with the steam or water, and !
inch of the suspicious sugar Is put !
lto the plate heated by the steam I
f the boiling water below and fat :
ened out to cake. New process !
Igar will soften and melt within
We minutes, but straight sugar will /
OF; on the contrary, it will get dry
nd crisp.
The adulteration of the cane with r
le starch sugar is done by shaving
: grating down the latter into very =
nall chips, and mixing them to the .
mount of 20 or 80 per cent. of the :
arch with the refined cane sugar. =
he larger ones of these chips may ,
, detected by the naked eye; under =
powerful microscope, of course, .
le adulteration becomes plain. The "
erfect, shiney and transparent crys- =
lis of the cane sugar are there .
liked with the Opaque white pieces :,
starch sugar, which appear like =
hips of soap or tallOw. If the sus- :
ected sugar be mixed with small :
Iantity of water upon glass plate. q
le hard cane sugar crystals, being =
lore soluble, will dissolve first, q
nd by pouring off the solution after =
few seconds, the soft chips of :
arch sugar may be isolated and :
Identified by magnifying glass. .
The above test requires neither =
ne skill or costly apparatus Of the :
hemist, and every housekeeper may .
rove in her kitchen, whether she
as bought straight or adulterated
lgar. After making few tests
ne intelligent and attentive house
eeper will soon learn how to select
er sugars economically.
The cheapest and best is the one s
hitch reaches farthest She will /
nd that virtue is not always COM {
atible with good looks, at least so +
sr as coffee sugars are concerned,
nd that the darker straight sugar IS
referable to its equal-priced though v
3tter looking new process sugar"
Respectfully, A. CRoLL.