The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-01-31

| any >ucn purpose.
Prof, W, o. Atwater, OF Wesleyan
I Univ, gives the following summary
Of the results OF his Investigation OF
! oleOmargaripe;
4. The common kinds of imitation
| butter, oleomargariue, butterineS, etc,
when properly made, agreevery closely
in chemical composition, digestibility,
and nutritiye value with butter from
cows milk.
80. In fulfilling one of the most inn
portant functions of food, that of sup
plying the body with heat and muScu-
lar energy, they, with butter, excel in
efficiency all, or nearly all, our other
common food materials.
as. Considering the low cost ut
which they can be produced, rs we'll as
their palatability and nutritive value,
they form a food product of very great
economical importance, and one which
i calculated 10 benefit large class of
our population whose limited incomes
make good dairy butter a luxury.
II. Imitation butter, like many
other manufactured food materials, i
liable but in actual commerce has
been found not 10 be so 10 be rendered
uuwholeSome 10y improper materials
and methods of manufacture. Ii is
also open Ia the special objection that
it is largely sold as genuine butter.
The interests Of the public, therefore,
demand that il should be subjected TO
competent official inspection, and that
it should be sold for what ii is, and not
as genuine butter.h
There are in the United States thirty
seven factories engaged in the manu-
faeture of artificial butter, and two
hundred and fifty-nine wholesale deal
erS. Sixty millions of dollars are
invested in this industry. In New
York State alone six factories put
twenty millions of pounds on the mar
ket in wear. The wholesale price is
or has been sixteen cents Il pound,
most of which has been sold as pure
butter, ut pure butter prices. This
abuse, backed by an immense cutlery
from dairymen, caused Congress at the
last session TO pass 4 bill, not prohibit
ing the manufacture and sale of Oleo-
margarine, but placing it under official
supervision and restriction. All imi-
CaCiOn buffers must be stamped and
sold for Just what they are.
[ have gone into details about cleo
margarine TO such an extent, because
an immense amount of exaggerated
nonsense has been written about it in
the sensational newspaper press of the
United States. About the only ground
for prejudice against imitation butter
Is based on the fact that, being 4 cheap
er product, it has been mixed with,
and offered for sale as, pure butter,
which is of course sufficient cause for
legislative interference.
The only other point that needs
mentioning in connection with the
adulteratiOn of butter is concerning
the addition of water. Besides the
water normally contained in butter, 4
large amount can be worked in by
Eneading or stirring the butter in
water. The addition of salt in consid-
cradle amount enables the butter To
hold more water. Butter has been met
with containing over forty per cent. of
water.
NILR.-PrObably no article of food
Is more frequently adulterated than
milk, and certainly no adulteratfOn Is
attended with more serious cOuse-
queuces to health, especially the health
of infants and children.
The most common authorizations of
Hin stLC dtlNllLl- WdlCI sttll lthLLl- Oll
cream, one or both ut the same time.
When milk is watered the specific
gravity Is lowered and sugar is fire.
quently added TO bring the 81 ecific
gravity back TO that of normal milk,
thus rendering it impossible TO detect
the presence Of the water by means of
4 IactOmeter or hydrometer. To
miIks likely TO decompose are added
salt, bOrax, saIicylic acid, &c The fol-
lowing substances also have been de-
tacted in adulteFated milk: Chalk, an
Iatto, turmeric, gIycerIne, &C. A milk
adulterant, which has recently appear
ed in some of the large cities of the
United States contains common salt,
saItpeteF, saleratus, Il trace of caustic
soda, aud IA large quantity of sugar;
these substances are dissolved in a
large amount of water and added to
milk in any proportion desired.
Here l. an interesting extract taken
from the report of the Massachusetts,
Inspector of Milk for 1885, containing
some correspondence that fell into his
hands:
-. Mass. Oct. p.