Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-10-20
FOOD ADUlTERATION.
Vigilance of Purchasers tho Only Encctiv
Security a gainst 1t.

Security Against II.
Congress devoted great deal o
time this year to the consideration of q
bill to put a check upon the adultera
ton of butter and the sale of shan
butter. The bill was known as the
olcomargarinc bill, although it dealt
with all substitutes for butter and all
substances used either to adultcratc or
to color genuine butter.
The bill was passed in each House
only after much opposition, and il
caused some bad feeling. 1t is an en-.
tirely new thing for Congress to pass
any measure the real object of which
is to protect the food of the people
from adultcration and sham, but in
the opinion of those who voted for the
bill there was necessity for this
action. There are State laws aimed at
bogus butter, but they can not be so eff.
fective as National law, which, be.
sides being everywhere in force, at.
tacks the manufacturer of the article
by laying tax upon it.
The adulteration of food is very
common practice, andi is rendered easy,
first by the prevailing demand for
cheap things, and secondly by the ex.
traordinary good nature of Americans,
which suffers imposition without Of.
fective resistance.
You go to your grocer's and buy
some sugar. You can very easily tell
whether you are getting the pure article
or not. Of one thing you may be sure:
Groccrs can not buy pure sugar below
a certain price, which is printed in all
the daily papers. If you buy below
that price. you arc buying glucose
Now well-made glucose may not DO
harmful, but on the other hand, it is not
useful. A cents worth of glucose will
not swceten any thing SO much as a
cents worth of grape sugar. What,
then, do you gain by buying cheap
sugar-cheap because it is adultcratedp
Other substances which are much
adulterated arc spices. Possibly moth
ing injurious are put into them, but they
are weakened, and moro must be used
to season the same amount of food.
There arc numerous substitutes for
coffee, but at prescnt it is about Us cheap
to drink the pure Brazilian, or "Rio"
coffee, as it is to drink any of the sub
stitutcs. 1t is frank" and has not the
delicate flavor of the Arabian and
Javanese coffees, but ii is strong and
pure.
In some cases the practice is, not to
put foreign substances into the article,
but to take out some of the useful in
gradients. A good example of this is
afforded by lard. Provision men have
on sale tin pals containing what is
called "Pure Leaf Lard" The substance
within contains nothing which is not
contained in lard, but in many cases it
has gone through II process which has
removed valuable ingredient of lard.
We might make long list of Particles
that need to be constantly watched in
order that attempts at adulteration
may be defeated. Candy and con-
dictionary, baking powders, milk
these are few OF the articles, and
others will occur to readers. It is be-
called wine sold in this country is
either manufactured without the use of
grape juice, or ''doctorcd.
1t is great mistake to rely upon
laws to correct evils like this of
adultcration. OF course there must DO
laws against the practices objected to,
and legal proceedings against those
who arc detected in them. But the only
effective security is in the vigilance and
determination Of purchasers. 1t should
be the rule of every man to take notice
of every imposition of this nature, and
to cease trading with those who persist
in selling sham goods for genuine.
There are, IL Is true buyers who
seek adulterated articles. That does
not excuse tradcsmcn for Offering i'm
pure articles to those who wish for
pure. IL a man continues to offer the
false goods after his attention has been
called to the matter, he is not an honest
man, and his shop Is to be avoided. -
Youths Companion.