The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-12-20
THE ADULrRRAT1ON OF FOOD

club listened to a valuable paper on
Food Adulteration," prepared and
read by Prof. W. A. Withers, of the
Experiment Station and the Agricul
tural College of North Carolina. This
paper will appear later in the form of
a bulletin from the Experiment Sta
tion. The facts in the paper YER
startling, Few people realized that
food adulteration was practiced to such
en alarming extent right here at home.
We wish we had space for the entire
paper, but must be content at present
to give it in conders}d form. Prof.
Withers said:
'The practi: e is not modern, but ex
listed even among Gods chosen people
for we fad recorded by the great Law
Giver the regulation, You shall do
no unrighteousness in Judgment, yard
weight or in measure; just balances,
a just ephah, and a just nin shell ye
have
The methods Of testing for adulter-
alton, while far from perfect at the
present day, are in advance of
those of the sixteenth century in
England, where the ale testers, among
other things were instructed to pour
a little ale on the bench and sic on it,
and if their leather breeches stuck to
the bench the presence of added sugar
was definitely proven. With the chem
zeal balances and the microscope, it is
perhaps true now that no harmful
adulteration can be added in danger
Gus quantities which may not be de
Eected The most advanced and recent
national legislation proposed is embed
led in the Faulkner Brossius bill, which
has the endorsement of 81 national or
CARNATIONS and 81 State and local,
commercial, scientific, agricultural
and manufacturing organizations, to
gether with that Of the representatives
of even of the great departments Of
our government, and Of "a States and
the District Of Columbia. 1t is inter
/ esting to us to kuO y that this is an out
growth of a bill introduced in the
Forty eighth Congress by the Hon.
Wharto On j. Green, of Moth Carolina,
which secured for the first time ma
tional legislation in the interest of pure
food.
The investigation as to the extent
of the adulteration Of food articles in
North Carolina was begun by the Elk.
pertinent Station during the present
year.
sag ghty four per cent. of the samples
Of cider vinegar were found adulUer
sted or untrue to name, being mostly
spirit vinegar.
Eighty. seven per cent. of the sam,
pies of baking powders we're found to
contain alum, which is injurious to the
health. Some even contained practi-
cally no available carbonic acid and
could not, therefore, be of any value
in causing bread to rise.
Thirty per cent. of the samples of
roasted coffee examined were found
adulterated with broken grains, we're
faced or glazed in excessive quantities.
In fact, all the others, but one, were
also glsz I'D, but in small amounts.
Forty four per cent. of the sam
Piles of tea we're found faced in small
q lentities. This facing, while in small
quantities. is of no fleet except to make
the lower grades appear better, and it
is therefore to be condemned.
Sixty samples OF sugar we're exam.
ined, out nc a~dulteration was found in
any sample.
Sixteen per cent, OF the samples of
flur we're found to contain corn -four
and one sample had alum also. No
other mineral adulterant was found
present, but a sample OF mineraline
was exhibited, which is prepared in
North Carolina for the purpose of adult
Eerating fur.
Fifty per cent. of canned vegetable s
were found to contain lead, copper or
~salicylic ecid, which substances in
large quantities. are harmful.
mo spoiled meats were found
among the canned meats, but at pres.
ent only a few samples have been ee
cured.
Including sugar and canned meats,
which we're not found ~sdulterated, the
average found in North Carolina was
nearly 40 per cent.
''These samples, with a few excep.
tions, we're purchased in the open mar.
ket in the cities Of Raleigh, Whining.
ton, Charlotte, statesville, Henderson