The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-04
Honey Is a Much Abused Article, and
Lard Is Frequently Mixed with
Cheaper Vegetable Oils.
COFFEE BERRY OFTEN BOGUS
MoLAssEs AND FLOUR NODDED INTO
DECEPTIVE COUNTERFEITs.
Fully 20 Per Cent. OF the Beer Sold in
Article than Malt-Maple Sugar.

CHICAGO, May 3.-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 commit
tee, now in session here, fully 80 per cent of
the articles Of food and drink manufactured
and used in this country are frauds All
kinds of dairy products, he said, as we'll as
nearly every variety of condiments. includ-
ing even coffee in the berry, were adulter-
ated. Senator Mason did the examining of
the witness.
DIR. Wiley was the first witness before the
committee, which opened its first session to-
day In the Grand Pacific Hotel Senator
William e. Mason. chairman of the commit
tee, was the only member present. Senator
Harris will not arrive until tomorrow and
Senator Wetmore is i'll. In his testimony
before the committee DR.. Wiley gave in de-
tail the methods of manufacturers in adul-
terating 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 common practice is the abb
straction Of the fatty substance in taking
away the cream. A common practice among
dealers was the adulteration with water, and
In addition to this preservatives are used
TO no small extent to prevent the liquid from
souring. In butter the common way of de-
frauding the public was the substitution of
other fats, both animal and vegetable for
the natural fat Of the milk. Both cotton-
seed oil and high grades of lard were en-
ployed In this work.
Honey. DR.. Wiley said. probably was a
more abused article In the line Of adultera-
tion than any other. The principal method
Of adulterating lard is the mixing of vege-
table oils with the natural fat of the hog
All kinds Of pure oils, he said, were heat
ing to the system we'll as great aids in
digesting. Another fraud which is carried on
to a very great extent is the selling OF cot
ton-seed oil for olive oil.
Probably among all the foods mentioned
by DR.. Wiley none attracted greater atten-
ton than the adulteration of coffee even
in the berry. In recent Investigations he
has found molasses and -four nodded into
berries. tolored, mixed with the genuine and
sold high-grade coffee.
According to DR.. Wiley there is very lit
tie pure beer made in this country. Fully
10 per cent. Of the beer which is sold In this
country is made of some other article than
malt. In regard to the exclusive use of
glucose. witness said that 1t was not OBJ
jectionable for food purposes if used in mod
Grafton. Very little pure jelly is manu-
factured. There also is a great amount of
adulteration in the manufacture of vinegar.
DR.. Wiley said Vermont maple sugar was
manufactured in Davenport. Ia, out of
brown sugar and an extract Of hickory
bark. and it was not deleterious. In fact.
he said, it was impossible for chemists to
distinguish the two. The sugar was the
same and the natural ether that gave the
maple sugar its flavor and distinctive quail
ity was too infinitesimal to segregate in an
ANALYSIS The extract of hickory, he said,
was about the same as the naples flavor.
Spices. he said. were adulterated, and peanut
shells were palmed off as ground cinnamon.