The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-12
FOOD FRAUDS.
Things We Eat Are Seldom What
They Seem.

Things We Eat Are seldom what
They Seem.
Washington Letter st. Louis Globe
Democrat.
The Secretary of Agriculture has
sent out circulars Of inquiry with a view
to learning all that is to be learned about
adulteration.
The question of what we are eating and
drinking is of serious import. There have
come to light in recent years facts about
adulterants of food products which show
an extraordinary condition of affairs.
We eat artificial eggs.
We dust powdered black walnut on our
food under the impression that it is pep
per.
We drink an infusion of molasses and
-four which is called coffee.
We swallow gypsum and Prussian blue
with our tea.
We pour caraway seed, salycilic acid
and glycerine into our stcmachs in the
name of beer.
We use cotton seed oil on salad and
think it is olive Gil.
We spread oleomargarine fat on our
bread
We are befooled and befuddled on every
hand nv the purveyors of food and drink
until we are never safe from imposition
al the table.
There are state laws to prevent aduter
atoms Of some common articles OF 1000
Massachusetts Ohio and Indiana nave
general pure food 10 WIS. Illinois passed
law lately forbiddin & the use OF colorlnS
matter in oleomarg arine. That law mas
settled the oleomar game business IN I'm
nois You can't sell a substitute for one
of the staple articles of food unless you are
mr., ,,ared TO deceive the consumer into the
belief that it is the real article. Gomez
substitutes never sell to coffe drinkers
They are served to restaurant Keepers
who serve them as coffee
THE United 81 ates government mas maze
law against the. sale of oleomargarine I'M
der any other glame. Lately 1t has passed
a law against he sale of "hlled cheeses,
or cbeeses ad,ulterated with cotton-seed
HI. and it has made a new law to prevent
fhe Importation Of adulterated teas
The tea bu siness has been IuIl Oh lrauu
and misrepr asentaion Tor years lea " :"
~, Grade h as been sold as genuine 30
-" I'm large quantities; there IS not
arough real Bohea in the world TO MI the
dornond i'm the United States alone All
oreen teas are colored, usually WIN
small amount Of Prussian Dlue anu syP-
etrn. No me knows where the Iaululo'l ot
NE excellence Of green tea originated, put
If has co me down through many genera
lions. 'rhe Chinaman eolors his tea q, 10
nIease 1.-the barbarans" as he calls the
itr,oric,,ns. and sometimes he uses black
lead trnneric and indigo in facing the lea lear,
sometimes he fills out shipment win "a
snent or exhausted leaves. Sometimes IN
nlecf. of gypsum he uses some other as.
trineont such as soaDstone, sulphate 10, OF
IRON metallic iron, sand and copper. me
fbi, ,.rnan has been known to III N SNIP
me- Il With tea dust to the amount Of p 3, per
cer,t finder the law per cent. IS me lInit ,
~ dust allowed, and though teas treated
vr,tb Prussian blue ana gypsum in small
criantlties are not barred OUT. o'her auul-
rants render a shipment liable 70 depor-
otta, or destruction. Standards ior the
~rsding of an teas have been adopted, ana ana
no tea falling below these s'aiuai u WIZ
be admitted. nrota,.s tho
I mi while the government protects tne
consumer against adulterated lSas anu ll ss o.
ecn,orearine. nothing is done apoul coilee
ayd cocoa. ana these are adulierated qulte
as badlv as tea Yon can not rely on buying