The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-01
ABOUT FOOD ADULTERANTS
STARTLING DIsoOYERLES IN GOODS
SOLD IN CONNECTICUT,

Wood, Etc.
The Connecticut agricultural expert
ment station, which was established by
the general assembly in 1877, has done
great amount Of work for the state
during the twenty years of it's exist
ence. Two years ago the Connecticut
Food Law" was adopted. Under that
statute the experiment station was re-
CURED to make the tests necessary in
detecting food adulterants.
During the year ending August 1, 1897,
agents of the station visited eighteen
cities and villages in the state for the
purpose of buying samples of food pro-
ducts for examination. Hartford was
one Of the cities visited. The number of
samples procured in all the places was
817. OF this number Is were of coffee,
81 of black pepper, 80 Of cayenne, Is of
ginger, rs of allspice, Al Of cinnamon, SO
of cloves, 46 Of catsup, AZ Of sausage, rs
Of oysters and 211 of milk Also during
the year the experiment station exanlin-
ed 20 samples of butter, SIS samples of
vinegar and 1872 samples Of molasses and
syrups
COFFEE ADULTERATIONS.
Twenty six samples Of unground and
40 Of ground coffee were examined dur
ing the twelve months. OF the ground
coffee SO samples were found to be adj
ulterated. The adulterants detected
were peas, chicory, wheat or rye, 'imi-
tati0n coffee" drown Jumps made from
wheat middlings to resemble coarsely
L i Lido 10
pea hulls and middlings resembling
roasted coffee).
One sample recently examined at the
station proved by microscopic examine
ton and chemical analysis to consist Of
date stones ground and apparently
roasted, Dates are used in considerable
quantity In confectionery and it would
appear that the stones are utilized for
f'coffee."
FRAUDS IN SPICES.
The adu1terants found in the black
pepper included buckwheat hulls, char
red cocoanut shells, various wheat pro-
ducts and fruit stones or nut shells.
White pepper was found to be adulter-
ated with rice and cayenne. A sample
4 of cayenne sold in bulk in Hartford was
adulterated with red sandal wood and
corn meal.
Both whole and ground cloves are
frequently adulterated with Glove
stems. "A small amount of stems is
4 Usually present as an accidental inn
purity In genuine cloves, but when the
amount is considerable it is an indica-
\ ton that they were added for fraudu-
/ lent purposes. German authorities state
that pure cloves should never contain
more than per cent. Of stems.
Gloves rendered worthless as spice by
extracting the volatile oil Of cloves have
been manipulated SO as to restore in a
measure their original appearance, and
employed as an adulterant of unground
!. cloves.
The adu1terants commonly used in
ground cloves are ground shells Of CO.
6oanuts, English walnuts and almonds,
red sandal wood, charcoal, roasted cere-
al preparations and allspice.
In several places in Hartford the adj
liberated ground cloves were sold.
Ground Glove stems are very COM
Snnonly added to ground al1spice, as they
cost only about half as much and have
nearly the same appearance and flavor.
Ground cocoanut shells, another COM
mon adulterant, resemble al1spice very
closely in appearance Shells Of other
nuts and various cereal products, after
Being roasted to give them the required
color, are also employed as make
weights. Small amounts Of cloves are
sometimes added to give flavor.
The adulterated allspice contained
Glove stems, cocoanut shells with a
wheat product and cloves, and cocoanut
A shell powder.
Cereal products, sawdust, various
kinds Of bark, nut shells and exhausted
cassia are among the adulterants used
i In ground cinnamon
Thirty-four samples Of cinnamon sold
+ tn bulk were examined.
Twenty-eight samples were found tc
consist of cassia bark. Whether or not
they contain exhausted cassia has not
4 been ascertained.
Eight samples were variously adulter-
ated with buckwheat middlings, wheat
bran and other wheat products, red
sandal wood and other wood, and
eand.
One sample consisted chiefly oil
starchy matter from wheat, which was
probably added in the form of cracker
waste or ship bread.
One sample contained buckwheai
Middlings in considerable quantity
Another sample was worthless mix.
ture of red sandal wood and wheat
bran with little cassia.
] TOMATO CATSUP DOSED WITH
ACIDS.
Tomato catsup or ketchup as prepar.
ed in the household consists of ripe to.
rnatoes cooked with spices and vinegar
and strained to remove seeds and skins
Fermentation and the growth of molds
is prevented chiefly by virtue of the
added spices and vinegar. Carefully
prepared catsup keeps for months while
bottled and for several weeks after
opening. Forty-one brands of tomato
catsup found on sale in Connecticut
were tested for benzoic and salicylit
acids. Twenty-seven of the brands
collected contained the Objectionable
acids
One sample Of chilisauce from Hart
ford was found to contain salicyliS
acid.
BORAx IN SAUSAGES AND OYs
TIERS.
Borax was found in twenty-seven o.
the forty-two samples of sausage ex
amined. In the samples bought in New
Haven, Bridgeport, Middletown ant