The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-06-22
An Objectionable Food Preservative
By II. A. Huston, CHEMIST.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY AGRICUL- I
TURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, ,
June IA. 1894.

, and other perishable food material
The compound was for use in the
"Great French Preserving Process,
the business headquarters Of which
were in Chicago. II twas also stated
that various fruits on exhibition at
the Worlds Columbian Exposition
were preserved by this process
There were also enclosed various
advertising sheets relating to the
selling of the compound itself and
of the rights to the territory in which
the compound should be sold.
The examination of the compound
showed that it was composed OF
sulphur, charcoal, nitrate Of soda,
cane sugar and common salt. The
salt may have been an impurity in
1.-The nitrate Of soda used. The com
position of the sample was:
Cane sugar. .... 1920 per cent.
lSalt. -. LAP " 1"
Nitrate of soda. :. 1.36 f" "
Sulphur. ......... 1853 " 1"
charcoal, moisture and in
soluble matter. !. 20. ga per cent.
The essentials of the directions
flor the use of this material were that
the compound should be burned in
Ia closed space and the fumes aris-
ling from the burning should be alb
sorbed by water placed in suitable
vessels, and that the fruit in some
cases should also be exposed to the
fumes. Finally the fruit was TO be
placed in the water which had alb
sorbed the fumes of the burning
compound and the vessel closed.
The burning of the compound
would result in the production of
,lsulphur dioxide, also known as sui
phurous acid, as one product, and
it is this substance which exerts the
preservative action in the process.
THE other ingredients are merely TO
laid in the burning Of the sulphur.
This sulphur dioxide is an in
|tensely poisonous gas and its use is
prohibited as food preservative in
European countries. When the gas
lis absorbed by water, sulphurous
acid, powerful therapeutic agent
lis formed. There is no doubt that
Its preservative action will be ef-
Elective, for it is one Of the best anti
septic and bleaching agents. But
there are grave objections to the in
discriminate use Of powerful thera-
peutic agents in food.
The parties having the material and
rights for sale state that the material
Tor process is covered by a patent.
ION inquiry at the u. s. Patent Of
Ifice we learned that the patent with
1.-THE number said to belong to this
process was issued for some sort Of
machinery, and had no relation to
this subject.
j The advertising matter calls at
tention to the very large profit aris-
ling from the sale Of this compound,
and to the larger profits in disposine
of rights to sell it i'm certain terri
fItory. No doubt the profit ought "a
be large for it sells at one dollar pei
, pound, while the cost of the ma
,terial in one pound would not ex-
ceed six cents, even if material OF
, the very best grade was used in its
; manufacture.
! We would advise people not to
/, buy the material on account Of it,
high price and Objectionable char
acter as a food preservative, and to
have nothing to do with the pur-
. chase or sale Of territorial rights un.
less they want to be imposed upor
|. or impose upon others.
!, The State Dairy and Food Com.
: missioner Of Minnesota, has recent
ly condemned this material in his
, report, and Mr.. Smith states thai
THE PouLTRY AND BEE KEEPEE
, wrote up the matter in 1887, a,
which time the process was Offered
as a means for preserving meat.
, Attention is again called to the
matter because it seems probable
, that the material will be offered e
farmers as a means for preserving
, fruit for food purposes.
3 Persons interested in the work o
, the Indiana Agricultural Expcri
, ment Station at Purdue University
, Lafayette, Ind, may secure thu
free publications Of the station q.
: issued from time TO time by ad
: dressing
c. S. PLUMB, Director.
Lafayette, Ind.
0