The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1905-08-02
SOME BUTTER TESTS
METHODS " WHICH TO DISTINGUISH
THE GENUINE ARTICLE.


Meat Products.
1t Is matter of common informa.
ton that oleomargarine is sometimes
substituted for butter and that rancid
and badly made butter is frequently
melted, washed with soda and churne<l
with milk for the preparation of reno.
waited or process butter.
Methods are available which, with a
little practice, may be employed to dis
tinguish between fresh butter, removal.
ed or process butter and oleomarga-
rine.
The spoon" test has been suggested
as household test and is commonly
used by analytical chemists for distin.
gushing fresh butter from renovated
butter or oleomargarine. A lump of
butter two or three times the size Of 4
pea is placed in large spoon and
1t is then heated over an alcohol burn.
er. II more convenient, the spoon may
be held above the chimney Of an ordi'
nary kerosene lamp, or it may even be
held over an ordinary illuminating gas
burner. If the sample in question be
fresh butter it will boil quietly will,
the evolution Of large number Of
small bubbles throughout the mass
which produce large amount Of foam
Oleomargarine and process butter, on
the other hand, sputter and crackle
making a noise similar to that heard
when a green stick is placed in fire
Another point Of distinction is noted If
small portion Of the sample is placed
in a small bottle and set in vessel of
water sufficiently warm to melt the
sample. The sample is kept melted
from half an hour to an hour, when it
is examined. If renovated butter or
oleomargarine, the fat will be turbid
while if genuine, fresh butter the fat
will almost certainly be entirely clear.
To manipulate what is known as the
Wateihouse, or milk, test about two
ounces of sweet milk is placed in a
wide mouthed bottle, which is set in
a vessel Of boiling water. When the
milk is thoroughly heated teaspoon.
full Of butter is added and the mix
ture stirred with splinter Of wood
until the fat Is melted. The bottle is
then placed in dish Of ice water and
the stirring continued until the fat
solidifies. Now, if the sample be but
ter, either fresh or renovated, it will
be soliditied in granular condition
and distributed through the milk in
small particles. If, on the other hand
the sample consists Of oleomargarine
1t solidifies practically in one piece and
may be lifted by the stirrer from the
milk.
Many persons believe that the great
mass Of the fresh meat sold on the
market is preserved chemically. This
impression is entirely unfounded. The
cold storage facilities of the present
day make the use of preservatives
with fresh neat unnecessary, and the
larger packing houses do not employ
them. 1t sometimes happens that local
butchers sprinkle preservatives over
a cut Of meat in order that they may
keep it exposed on the block or hang
ing in show window as an adver.
tisement. The use of chemical pre-.
servatives with fresh meat is confined
to this practice alone.
Preservatives are very commonly
used with chopped meats and sausages,
especially fresh sausage. They are al
ways employed with canned Vienna
and Frankfurter sausages inclosed in
castings with the ends tied. Where the
ends are cut personalities may be alb.
sent. The reason for this is that the
temperature required for the complete
sterilization Of sausages will either
burst or distort the skins when the
ends are tied, whereas sausages with
cut ends afford an opportunity for the
escape Of the water and steam.
With many varieties Of sausages
both fresh and smoked, and with chop
ped meats Of all descriptions, colorine
matter Is sometimes employed. This Is
done partly for the purpose Of satisfy
ing an unnatural demand for a higl
colored article and partly sometimes tc
conceal the grayish color characteristic
of old meat, which should not be useC
at all
The preservatives employed witt
meat products are boric acid, bora1
and supplies. To defect beric aciC
about tablespoonful of the chopped
meat is thoroughly macerated with {
little water, pressed through bag an(
two or three tablespoonful of thu
liquid placed in sauce dish with IF
teen or twenty drops Of strong hydro
chloric acid for each tablespoonful. Th'
liquid is then filtered through filter pa
per and piece Of tumeric paper dip
ped into it and dried near a lamp o.
stove. If boric acid or borax were uset
for preserving the sample the tumeri'