St. Paul daily globe., 1888-06-25
Adulterations.

Under the nea0 or 'EO0Q AQulter-
ants" the department of agriculture has
issued bulletin (No. 13) in three parts,
covering the three subjects of the ''dairy
products," ''spices and condiments"
and ''fermented alchohOlic beverages"
Taking part first dairy products) 70
pages out of the 126 are devoted to Oleo-
margarine and similar products so freely
palmed Off on the public as butter.
From minute description it would seem
to take the most careful work in the
laboratory to detect the difference be-
tween pure Oleomargarine and butter.
The department does not prOmulgate
the doctrine that OleOmargarine is un-
healthy and an undesirable article OF
food. In fact, there is rather labOred
effort to prove the contrary. Neverthe-
less it is set down as an ''adulterant'
or milk or cream, and to great extent
sold as butter, which debases the quality
and makes the milk impure: i. e., not
pure butter.
Upon examination of the process de-
scribed for the manufacture of eleomar-
garine, the fact is developed that
10 PER CENT OF WATER
or milk is added to the mass. This, of
course, is pure adulteration. though not
added for the purpose of gaining in
weight. The result is, however, that a
given weight of the oleomargarine as
thus diluted contains that much less
fat and consequently is of that much
less food nature.
upon the methods of making OleOmar-
garine. A simple description of the
substance is that it is the fat of bullocks
recently butchered, which is first cut up
very fine. and then melted tried at a
very low temperature (abOut 130 de-
grees), and after being cooled is sub
jected to pressure, which separates the
fat from the stearine. This latter sub
stance, about 45 per cent of the whole,
is made into candles, while the fat goes
into the butter tub, after being mani
pulated by the process mentioned.
The old adage that necessity is the
mother of invention" is verified in this,
by the historical fact that the discovery
was made during the siege of Paris to
supply the existing pressing need of
II. Mege, then in Paris, and for which
he afterwards took out letters patent.
He says: "My invention is based upon
the discovery made by me, that when
fat is rendered at low temperature
Q30 degrees) it has the taste of molten
butter and does not acquire the tallowy
flavor"
There are $500 oleomargerine fac
tories in the United States, nearly one
third of which are in Chicago. Imper-
feet statistics are given, but the fact is
stated that over 10000, 600 pounds were
made in the months of November, De-
cember and January last past, or in
round numbers at the rate of
a year. This is serious inroad upon
the dairy business, and displaces the
product of not less than 20O, 900 COWS. 1t
is standing menace, as it ought to be,
to the cheap ''StOre butter" of past
memories, and it is to be hoped will
make the substance so scarce, that it
will be thought of as one of the lex
tinct species" of by-gOne days. 1t is for
such, that oleomargarine has the great
est terrOrS, though as matter of fact it
will compete with still higher grade in
some markets.
The farmers true weapon to fight
this substance is not so much in re-
strictive legislation as in raising
the standard of quality of butter.
which is being done all over the United
States by the creamery SytemS. The
principal difference then, as will be
seen by carefully looking into the con-
tents of this bulletin, is that the excel
lence of butter consists in it's flavor to
tickle the palate, and which promotes
digestion, while that of the Oleo Oil,
(oleomargarine) is in the entire
absence of flavor, so we may take
courage yet and not dispose of our
cows, for good butter will be in demand
even if this cheap ''stuff' is made and
sold to such as have not palate to
tickle. The false colOrs will tout"
when the patentee says, 81 have found
it eXpedient to mix with cream or
milk" or lit may be desirable to add
ordinary butter;;" evidently to season
the taSteless mass.