Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-10-15
SOME BUTTER TESTS
METHODS BY WHICH TO DISTINGUISH
THE GENUINE ARTICLE,

The Use of Preservatives with Fresh
Aeat-CotorinE Matter In Many sau-
sages-How to Detect Borie Acid Ia
Aeat Products.
1t Is a matter of common informa-
, tion that oleomargarne is sometimes
substituted for butter and that rancid
and badly made butter is frequently
melted. washed with soda and churned
! with milk for the preparation Of reno
waited or process butter.
Methods are available which, with
little practice, may be employed to dis.
tinguish between fresh butter, renovat.
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 oIeomargarine A lump OF
butter two or three times the size OF q
pea 10 placed in large spoon and
1t 10 then heated over an alcohol burn
er. IL more convenient, the spoon may
be held above the chimney of an ordi.
nary kerosene lamp. or 1T may even be
held over an ordinary illuminating gas
burner. II the sample In question be
fresh butter Ii will boil quietly with
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 green stick is placed In a fire.
Another point of distinction is noted IL
small portion Of the sample is placed
In q small bottle and set In a vessel Of
water sufficiently warm TO melt the
sample. The sample is kept melted
from half an hour to an hour, when 1t
is examined. II renovated butter or
oleomargarine, the fat will be turbid.
will almost certainly. be entirely clear.
To manipulate what ia known as the
Warehouse, or milk, test about two
ounces OF sweet milk is placed In a
wide mouthed bottle, which Is set in
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. ,Lhe bottle is
then placed In dish Of Ice water and
the stirring continued until the fat
solidifes. Now. II the sample be but
ter, either fresh or renovated, 1T will
be solidiied in granular condition
and distributed through the milk In
smnll particles. lf, on the other hand,
The sample consists OF oieomargarine
1t solldifies 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 OH the
market Is overwhelmingly This
Impression Is. entirely unfounded The
cold lstorage facilities OF the present
day make the Use OF preservatives
with fresh meat unnecessary. and the
larger packing houses do not employ
them. 1t sometimes happens that local
butchers sprinkle personalities over
cut OF meat IN order that they may
keep II exposed On the block or hang
ling I'm II show window as an adver-
tisement. The use OF chemical pre-
servatiyes with fresh meat Ia confined
to this practice alone.
Personalities are very commonly
used with chopped meats and snusages,
especially fresh sausage. They are al.
ways employed with canned Vienna
and Frankfurter snusages Enclosed in
castings with the ends tied. Who're the
ends are cut prescrv0tivcs may be NIB.
sent The reason for this is that tile
temperature required for The complete
sterilization OF sausages will either
burst or .disiort the skins when the
ends are tied, whereas sausagcs with
cut ends afford All opportunity. for the
escdpe of-the water anu steani.a so
With many varieties OF slusa ges,
both fresh and smoked, and with chop.
ped meats OF all descriptions. uoloriug
matter IL sometimes employed. This 10
done partly for the PURPOSE or satisfy
ing mn unnatural demand for a high
colored article and partly sometimes to
conceal the graylsh color characteristic
OF old meat, which should not be used
at all.
The personalities employed with
meat products nre bbric acid, borax
and sulphites. 10 detect boric acid
abont tablespoonful OF the chopped
meat Is thoroughly macerated with a
little water. pressed through bag and
two or three tablespoonful of the
liquid placed In a sauce dish with If
teen OF twenty drops OF strong hydro
chloric acid for each tablespoonful, The
liquid is then filtered through filter pa
per and a piece of tumeric paper DIP.
ped into 1t and dried near a lamp or
stove If boric acld or borax were used
for preserving the sample the tumeric
paper should be changed to bright
cherry red color. If too much hydro.
chloric acid has been employed dirty
brOwnish red color is obtained, which
interferes with the color due to the
presence of. boric acid. Now, IL drop