The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-12
WHAT We EAT
ShOrey Upon
AduIteration.
Gives a List of Articles Commonly
Compounded and the
Methods Used.

Methods Used.
The following on fraudulent food
adulteration is from the pen of Mr.. Ed
mund c. Shorey, inspector of foods, and
may be read with profit by those who
wish to become acquainted with the
common adulterants of commerce:
While it is true that all food adulte-
rations are fraudulent, adulteration is
generally used in application of those
which are not harmful or injurious to
health. Authorizations of this kind may
be divided into two classes: % Those
which deceive by the substitution
wholly or in part of a worthless or
inferior article; (2) Those by which
fraud is effected by the sale of one
arucle under the name of another.
The best known and most common
examples of the first class are found
in the addition of water to milk, and
the mixture of chicory with coffee.
The sale of oleomargarine for butter is
probably the most prominent example
of the second class.
Adulteration Of food by the admix-
ture of worthless or cheaper articles
is by far the most common form. The
requisites for successful adulteration
or this kind are manifestly: "a An
article of food of such appearance that
foreign substances can be mixed with
1t without altering the appearance very
much: (2) A supply of some cheaper
substance which can be so used; and
I'd A not too discriminating public to
which TO sell it. The first requisite is
found in all foods which are sold
liquid, ground, or powdered. The sec
Ond Is found either in other foods of
a similar character. which are cheaper:
or In refuse material, which is worth
less as food, but which fills the bill so
Iar as appearance goes The third
requisite is found in every commu-
nifty.
Foods which are most commonly
adulterated so as to come in this first
class are as follows:
Adulteration of Milk.
1t is safe to say that where there is
no inspection fifty per cent of the milk
sold in towns and cities is adulterated
with water; and that this adulteration
Is sometimes as high as hfty per cent
of water. Where food laws are enforc-
ed nine-tenths of the convictions under
the law, are for watering milk.
In consideration of the fact that the
use Of milk as food is almost universal
among civilized people, it is easily seen
that even a slight adulteration with
water means a large aggregate loss to
the public. In fact it is not too much
to say that in dollars and cents the
adulteration of milk takes more out of
the pockets of consumers than all other
1ood authorizations combined. The I'M
limited supply of the adulterant and
the ease with which the mixture can
be made,-while you wait, if neces-
sary-renders the suppression of this
fraud somewhat difficult On the other
hand it is generally much easier to
NIX the blame than in the case of goods
winch are kept already prepared, and
whleh have passed through several
hands.
The Coffee Question.
Ground, roasted coffee is from its ma
ture easily adulterated with any other
substance which resembles coffee in ap-
pearance, and which has no disagree
able taste or smell. Chicory is by far
the most common adulterant. II is
cheap and, when ground and roasted
II resembles coffee in appearance; and
In small quantity it is not easily de-
tected by taste or smell. Some claim a
liking for chicory in coffee; and while
THIS may be true to a limited extent.
doubt whether this preference would
extend to more than ten per cent of
chlcory; and in view of the great dis
parity in price between chicory and
conee, the matter resolves itself into
one OF dollars and cents and not one of
taste. VI
In 1898 there were imported into Ha-
wall 63,5O3 pounds of chicory, valued
at S2,552.99. or 4 cents per pound. This
chlcory all reached the consumer as
conee. and whether sold on the table
OF restaurant, or as ground coffee al
20 TO 80 cents per pound, it is safe to
say that the average cost to the con-
sumner was at least % cents per pound:
showing profit to those who handled
II or $l3,322.76. This amount came out
Oh the pockets of those who could
least AFFORD 1t; the patrons of cheap
restaurants and corner grocery stores.
IL may not be out of place to say
that chicory is not harmful; but it
possesses none of the properties of cof-
fee, and the value it has in the market
is wholly dependent on its utility as
an adulterant of coffee. Coffee bulls.
spent coffee grounds, roasted beans and
wheat all find their way into roasted
eonee at times; but they cannot be
used to the extent that chicory is.
without detection by the ordinary con-
sumner. Imitation roasted coffee beans
are sometimes found mixed with the
genuine. They are generally made
from chicory and starch, and are. as a
rule. not difficult TO detect.
How Spices are Doctored.
Ground spices are far in the lead of