Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-09

made up very largely of myosin. the basis
of muscle. Meat contains also a small per-
centage of albumen. which 10 extracted by
cold water, but is coagulated by heat. This
and a small proportion of other nitrogenous
substance and mineral matters are practi-
cally all which can be extracted by water.
If meat is plunged into boiling water when
cooked as is commonly done I'm canning,
extremely little can be extracted.
In preparing the meat for canning large
pieces are put in watts OF boiling water and
thus cooked. This softens the meat makes
It more tender. and facilitates the separa.
ton OF bone and gristle. After these are
removed. the meat is cut into pieces OF
proper size for the can. The top is then
soldered on the can. but small mole ls leit.
heating Of the can which follows. This
heating also kills the bacteria The mole Is is
then closed by drop of melted SOLDER anu
the can Is Theoretically sealed.
me cans are then tested to see wnetner
this handling has been done SO as to pro
tect the meat from deterioration. TO ~ TINS
number of days. If the bacteria have not
been killed. the meat will decompose. gases
The The humber Dofu Of cans ans that hat swell and thus
indicate imperfect handling is said to aver
age, about one-fourth of l per cent. Ihe
heap with the intestines and other meat
refuse and made into fertilizers.
:. BY this common manufacturing process.
1t would be impossible to remove from the
meat which goes into the cans any con-
siderable part Of the actual nutrment: ..
lie Ciliel ulilereHCe DetWeci the ASoe,
prepared In this way, and that ordinarily
cooked in the household, is that the canned
meat does not contain the bone and gr1stle,
which are not edible.
The averages of the analyses Of American
meat products now available give percent.
ages of protein in fresh beef: Rump, l4.6
per cent; tenderloin. 15.6 per cent; other
cuts not far from the same amount. The
averages for canned beef are: Boiled beef.
proportion of fat in the canned meats ana
lyzed was relatively smaller, doubtless be-
cause the leaner meat was used for cam
ming.
The value of meat, as of other food for
nourishment, depends upon its digestibil-
ity, that is, upon the proportion of nutri-
tive material that Is absorbed from the
digestive tract during its passage through
the body. Numerous tests have been made
of the digestibility Of fresh meats as ordi.
narily cooked for eating. The number of
experiments made with canned meats is
smaller. but there is no reason to assume
any considerable difference between the
two. Nearly all the protein of beef. as it
is ordinarily eaten. is dgested and assirni-
lated by the system. The high nutritive
value Of properly cooked meat is there
fore well settled by accurate experiment.
In the great stock yards in Kansas City
and Chicago and elsewhere. where nearly
all of the canned meat is put up all the
meat is inspected on the hoof and at the
time OF slaughtering, by government ex-
perts. who are on the ground all the time,
and without whose examination not an
can be made without violation Of govern
ment regulations. This is the guarantee
for the quality Of the meat, whether fresh
or canned