The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-04
MANY FOODS ADULTERATED.
NINETY PER CENT. OF THEM, DIR.
WILEY SAYS, ARE FRAUDS.

Gave Testimony Before the senator
ial Pure Food Committee-Creom
Extracted From MiIk-Fats Used
In Butter and oils In Lard-Pure
Beer Is Scarce-COGee Made From
Flour and MolaSscs-HOw Spurious
Maple Syrup Is Made.
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 investgat-
ing committee, 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
well as nearly every variety of condi-
ments. including even coffee in the berry.
were adulterated.
DR.. Wiley was the first witness beforn
the committee, which opened its first ses-
sion to-day in the Grand Pacific Hotel.
Senator William E, Mason chairman, was
the only member present. Senator Har-
Senator Wetmore is Ill.
In his testimony before the committee
DIR. Wiley gave in detail the methods of
the manufacturers in adulteratiug differ
ent articles of food. In milk, according
to his testimony, the most common prac-
tice is the abstraction of the fatty sub
stance in taking away the cream. A
common practice among dealers, he said,
was the adulteration with water and in
addition to this, preservatives are used
in no small extent to prevent the liquid
from souring.
Spurious Butter and Lard.
In butter, the common way of defraud-
ing the public, according to the testimony,
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 employed in this
work
Honey, DR.. Wiley said, probably was
more abused article in the line of adultera-
ton than any other.
The principal method of adulterating lard
is the mixing of vegetable oils with the
natural fat of the hog. Fats and oils, he
said instead of being injurious to the
health, are wholesome TO a great degree.
All kinds of pure oils, he said, were heat
ing to the system. as well as great aids to
digestion.
Another fraud which is carried on to
very great extent Is the selling of cotton
seed oil for cotton oils.
Bad Coffee and Bad Beer.
Probably among all the foods MENTION
ed by DR.. Wiley none attracted greater
attention than the adulteration of coffee,
even In the berry. According to the wit
ness, in recent Investigations he had found
molasses and flour moulded into berries,
coored, mixed with the genuine and sold
as high grade coffee.
According TO DR.. Wiley there is very
little pure beer made in this country.
Fully 20 per cent. of the beer which is
sold here is made of some other article
than malt
In regard to the extensive use of glu-
cose, the witness said that II was not OBJ
jectonable for fod purposes If used in
moderation.
Very little pure jelly is manufactured,
according to the witness. There also is
a great amount of adulteration In the
manufacture of vinegar.
Maple Syrup, Too.
DR.. Wiley said that Vermont maple SUI
gar was manufactured in Davenport, Ia,
out of brown sugar and an extract of
hickory bark, and 1t was not deleterioue.
In fact, he said. IL was impossible for
chemists 10 distinguish the two. The sugar
was the same and the natural ether that
gave the maple sugar its flavor and the
distinctive quality was too infnitesslmal
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.
UNnERHAND WORK DIsCIOsEn