The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-08-25
FOOD STUFFS.
State Department Tells a Few
Things.

1 FrODaDly Ill no OGier line OF 1000
products have the people of Minnesota
been imposed upon in past years than
in the line of fiavoring extracts of all
kinds. The temptation to put out a
cheap imitation article has been great,
and many of the manufacturers of
these products have apparently care
fully studied the question of getting
out as cheap an article as possible in
stead of striving to put out as good an
article as they could.
We have no specific law regulating
the manufacture and sale of food, the
manufacture and sale of which are
not regulated by specific laws, come
under the regulations of the general
food adulteration law, and it remains
for the commission to handle the
question by various rulings.
Accordingly in May, 1904, the de-
partment issued bulletin defining
legal extracts of all kinds and the
sale of illegal goods to the retailer
was prohibited after July l, 1904. The
Illegal goods in the hands of the re-
taller were to be disposed before jan
uary 1, 1905. The time allowed for
the disposition of the old goods was
later extended to July 1, 1905. Pros
ecutions will follow where these old
goods are discovered after that time
all dealers should be careful not to
have any of the same on hand.
The ruling formerly referred to pro-
hibits the artificial coloring of lemon
extract, and the article must be
manufactured from pure lemon oil
and ethyl alcohol. 1t must contain
at least five per cent of the lemon oil.
If it contains less it may be sold as
legal providing it is labeled and sold
as "lemon flavor" or ''lemon flavor
ing.' Some manufacturers use the
peel of the lemon to give slight yell
low color to the product, and this is
allowable. Many OF the manufacture
ers are not doing this however, and
tile consumer should remember that
while colorless lemon extract now on
the market may be just as good as
that which is yellow. The purchaser
who wishes to buy the best should re-
member the difference between "lem-
on extract" and lemon favor or
''lemon fiayoring."
The same holds true with vanilla
extract" and vanilla fiavor'' or
vanilla flayoring." Nothing but the
extractive products from vanilla beans
and ethyl alcohol is allowed in
vanilla extract" Foreign colored
matter is not allowed, and many of
the pure vanilla extracts are light
colored. This is not an indication of
linferiority.
"Vanilla flavor" or vanilla flavor
ing" may be made of part vanilla
bean extract aud other ingredients,
such as tonla, commarin, Yanillin,
etc. These flavors must beara label
giving the true ingredients. In case
no vanilla bean extract is used in the
manufacture of the product caramel
may be used as a coloring matter
In this also the purchaser should
| remember tile difference between the
articles labelled vanilla extract"
and vanilla flavor" or ''vanilla
| fiavor.ng."
| In all cases when the extracts can
not be prepared from the natural
fruits, such as banana, pineapple,
strawberry, ETC., the synthetic pro-
duct must bear the name Artificial"
Immediately preceding the name of
the fruit from which the extract is
represented to have been made.
Below are the reports received from
our laboratory since the issue of our
last bulletin showing the most flag
rant violation of our pure food laws:
Lab. No 297, Sorhgum. ''Tennes-
see" brand. National Molasses Co.,
st. Louis, Mo-, Illegal. Sample is a
glucose mixture. Sold as pure sorh-
gum.
/ Lab No. T31, Lemon Extract, "Bull-
dog'' brand. Phillip B. Hunt, Min
neapolis. Illegal. Sample contains
no lemon oil and contains wood alco-
Ihol. Wood alcohol is deadly poison.
| Lab. 2S9, Sorghum, Fancy Serg-
hum" Towle Syrup Co. ST. Paul. IL
legal. Sample is glucose mixture,
Sold as pure sorghum.
Lab. No. 420. Cherries. "Monarch"
brand. Reid, Murdoch & Co., Chica-
go. Illegal. Sample is colored with
coal-tar dye and preserved with sail
cylic acid. Salicylic acid is recog-
nized injurious preventative.
Lab. No. 1913. Extract of lemon. DR..
Wards Medical Co., Winona. Illegal.
Contains no trace of lemon oil and
artificially colored.
Lab. No. l27. Extract Strawberry.
DR.. Wards Medical Co., WInona. IL
Illegal. Colored with coal-tar dye, and