Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-05-04
NEARLY EVERYTHING WE EAT OR
DRINK Is ADULTERATED.
AN INVESTIGATION UNDER WAY
MAPLE SUGAR" MADE IN
A PRAIRIE STATE.
Very Little Pure Beer Made in This
Country, 1t Is Said-CinnamOn
Made of Peanut Shells
Even Bogus Coffee
Berries Made.

CHICAGO, May S.-According to DR.. II.
W. Wiley. chief chemist of the United
States department of agriculture, who was
called to the stand to-day to testify before
the senatorial pure food investigating COM
mittee. now in session here, fully 80 per
cent of the articles of food and drink man
ufactured and used in this country are
frauds. All kinds of dairy products. he
said, as well as nearly every variety OF
condiments, including even coffee in the
berry, were adulterated. Senator Mason
did the examining of the witness.
DR.. Wiley was the first witness before
the committee, which opened its first ses-
sion to-day in the Grand Pacific hotel. Sen
ator William Z. Mason, chairman of the
committee, was the only member present.
Senator Harris will not arrive until to-
morrow, and Senator Wetmore is i'll. In
his testimony before the committee, DIR.
Wiley gave in detail the methods of man
ufacturers in adulterating different articles
of food. Foods and drinks which contain
ingredients that are deleterious to health
were reviewed by him at the afternoon
session. In milk, he said, the most COM
mon practice is the abstraction of the
fatty substance in taking away the cream.
common practice among dealers was the
to this, preservatives are used to no small
extent to prevent the liquid from souring.
In butter, the common way of defrauding
the public was the substitution of other
fats, both animal and vegetable, for the
| natural fat of the milk. Both cottonseed
oil and high grades of lard were employed
in this work.
Honey Dr. Wiley said, probably was a
more abused article in the line of aduter-
| alton than any other.
| The principal method of adulterating lard
| is the. mixing of vegetable oils with the
natural fat of the hog. All kinds of pure
oils, he said, were healing to the system,
as well great aids in digesting. Another
fraud which is carried on to very great
extent is the selling of cottonseed oil for
olive oil.
Probably among all the foods mentioned
by DR.. Wiley, none attracted greater at
| tention than the adulteration of coffee
even in the berry. In recent Investigations
he has found molasses and flour moulded
into berries, colored, mixed with the gen.
uine, and sold as high grade coffee.
According to DR.. Wiley, there is very
little pure beer made in this coun
try. Fully 20 per cent of the beel
which is sold in this county is
made of some other article than malt. II
regard 10 tle eXleilSiNe use VI SluCoSe, VII
ness said that it was not Objectionable fol
food purposes, If used in moderation.
Very little pure jelly is manufactured
There also is a great amount of adultera
ton in the manufacture of vinegar.
DR.. Wiley said Vermont maple sugar wa:
manufactured in Davenport, Ia. out o
brown sugar and an extract of hickor,
bark, and it was not deleterious. In fact
he said, it was impossible for chemists t.
distinguish the two. The sugar was tn,
same and the natural ether that Sav'
the maple sugar its flavor and distinctive
quality was too intinitesimal to segregat
in an analysis. The extract of hickory, h
said, was about the same as the flavor
Spices, he said. were adulterated, ant
peanut shells were palmed off as groun'
cinnamon.