The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-07

| ity it is almost worthless. The guam
| tity OF water in good butter Is usually
| about III per cent, or even less. but
some OF the butter sold to-day contains
| as much as 80 and even So per cent. of
| water. Of course If water can be sold
| for the same price per pound as but
| ter, the vendor is quite willing to sell
/, IL. Butter adulteration is now confined
| almost entirely to the admxture with
| margarine, larger quantity of water
than is necessary and the addition of
boraX as preservative. When boraX
| is added to old butter it can be sold as
!fesh butter. Borax, like alum, is in
furious to health and should never be
used IN human food MARGARINE is a
mixture of animal fats which, when
carefully prepared, bears a close re-
semblance to cows milk There is
nothing harmful about good margarine.
me only harm done in it's use is the
fraud perpetrated on the public by
selling a cheap adulterant as butter.
strange to say, even the adulterants
are adulterated nowadays. 1t is on
record that a case came before the au-
thorities recently where a charge was
made of adulterating margarine with
parafine wax.
Lard is adulterated in a scientific
manner with the harder narts of cot
ton seed fat, known as cotton seed
N'Stti iiie anu Deel LAT. Inc analysis can
readily detect these authorizations. If
the lard is dissolved in ether and kept
IN cool place it falls to the bottom of
the vessel in the form of crystals.
Beef fat crystals are very different in
appearance and under the microscope
can readily be distinguished from those
of lard. Milk, which of all things used
as human food should be pure, is the
most frequently adulterated. 1t Is so
easy to add water to milk. Milk under
the microscope consists of q liquid
with a number of round floating par
ticles which are globules of fat. Milk
from which the cream has been taken
and water added is seen under the mi
croscope to contain very few of these
globules of fat and very much LIQUID.
Tea is rarely tempered with, for the
authorities exercise very close super
vision, and adulterated cargoes are re-
fused admission into the country.
These adulterated teas contain leaves
that are not genuine, but whose pres
ence is not easily detected except by
the expert. To detect them it is neces-
sary to soak the leaves in water, open
them on plate and compare them
with specimens of the genuine leaves.
Coffee is largely adulterated with
chicory. To feel assured that their cof-
fee is not adulterated. many people
buy the beans whole and do their own
for the willy adulterator makes ficti-
t1ous coffee beans so like the real thing
that it is almost impossible to tell them
apart.
Genuine honey is often difficult to
obtain. It is largely adulterated at the
present time with sugar syrup made
from starch, and with cane or beet
sugar syrup. Jams, jellies and MARINA
ladies' used to be mysterious mixtures Of
turnip pulp, unsound fruits. gelatine,
dyes and preservatives. The adultera-
ton of these luXuries is now very little |
in evidence, although vegetable addi- |
tions are not altogether unknown.
The condiments we use are also |
adulterated. Mustard is per-
haps more adulterated than either gin
ger or pepper. The chief adulterants |
of mustard now consist of wheat flour
and turmeric coloring. It has been said |
that mustard contains such an amount
of oil that If flour were not added to |
soak it up it would soon become rancid. |
Such contention is probably nothing |
more than manufacturers excuse for
his mustard. After flour
has been added to mustard in large
quantities turmeric coloring is mixed |
In to restore the product to it's natural
yellow color.
Ginger. both in the root and when
ground. is still largely adulterated |
Sand and dirt from the sweepings of |
the warehouse constitute one form Of
while plaster of paris and
are occasional aduterants.
The moral of all this is: Don't buy
cheap foods, and buy only of reputable
r. T. j.