The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-25
sl H. B. Boyer,
Local Forecast Official.
WHAT WE EAT UNAWAREs.
Acids and Pigments Are Supplied
GratuItuOusIy when Foods Need
Identification.

GratuituOusIy when Foods Need
Identification.
From the London Daily Chronicle.
Recent disclosures as to beer have di-
rected public attention very strongly to
the composition of that article. and
doubtless before long public interest will
be equally aroused as to the constitution
of the food we eat.
Just over twelve months ago a depart
mental committee of the Board of Trade
was appointed to inquire into the use of
preservatives and coloring matters in
foods For several weeks this committee
was busfly engaged in taking evidence
of all kinds, and since then the expert
members of it have been Wis ting foreign
countries and pursuing scientific invest
cations preparatory TO rep-rting on the
whole subject. Owing to the excitement
of the war, the proceedings of the COM
mittee aroused only scant interest. New
ertheless the evidence given affords plen-
ty Of food for reflection.
Boracgc acid and borax may be very
good things in their way, but when one
learns that they are consumed in ones
milk butter, bacon, cream, pork, sau-
sages, fish and other articles, it may be
thought one can have too much OF a good
thing. With regard 20 milk, no supervis-
ion appears to be exercised over those
handling IL. Thus as one witness put 1t,
the farmer puts me in to preserve 1t
on its railway journey to town, the
wholesale man generally adds some more,
and the small vendor makes certain OF
keeping it fresh by adding a further
dose. The natural consequence is that
the maximum dose prescribed by the
British Pharmacopoeia" is in many
cases largely exceeded
Then we are told that the high-cIas So
Normandy butter is preserved by being
wrapped in cloths soaked in boracic acid,
that the mlld-curcd American bacon 50
largely consumed is enabled TO be brought
over the herring pond by reason Of It's
being slightly salt cured, and then COW
cred with powdered borax, and that Of
late there has sprung up a large trade
with America in the carcases of pigs
which are slightly chilled and then sprln-
killed. with borax, which keeps them UNI
I'll they enter into consumption as fresh
pork.
AS to the composition OF sausages that
has always been surrounded with an air
of mystery. but at least we know now
of one ingredis mt, for 1t seems that boz
racic acid plays useful part in their
preservation, and the cream In little
brown Jars. so promently displayed In
grocers' windows is often kept CONNER
cially fresh by having IoTax spr nix ed
on the top, so that, as one witness has
remarked, the pers who gets the first
lot Of cream from the jub gets the whole
dose of preservative.
But in addition to preservatives, one
learns that the rich creamy color of
the mornings milk is due to the adii-
ton Of colorirg m tier TIL appears TO
be a common pr ctice end ore OF the
largest dairy compan.es in London which
for o time tried to sell It's m TX unso-
phisticated was undated with compla n :
about the poor quail ty OF the article sun
piled. Butter Is col red with annatto
TO suit the fancy Of different districts,
notwlthstand' ng the expl nat on put ior-
ward by a farmer that the rich orange
color WAS due to the cows feeding on
buttercups." II Is true that medical men
agree that this coloring is harm ees
Preserved peas, which look 80 attractive
ia bottles. and which gre so largely used
In restaurant. may be kept green BY the
addition Of copper. while various coal
tar dyes are used In the ease Of sweets