Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-08-02
SOME BUTTER TESTS
METHODS BY WHICH TO DISTINGUISH
THE GENUINE ARTICLE.

u
Meat-COlOring Matter In Many Sau-
snges-How to Detect BOrfc Acid In
Meat Products.
1t is a 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 churned
with milk for the preparation Of reno
waited or process butter.
Methods are available which, with q
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 OleOmargarine A lump Of
butter two or three times the size of a
pea is placed In large spoon and
1t is then heated over an alcohol burn
er. If 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 II the sample in question be
fresh butter 1t will boil quietly with
the evolution OF large number Of
small bubbles throughout the mass
which produce large amount of foam.
OleOmargar1ne and process butter, on
the other hand. sputter and creckle.
making a noise similar to that heard
when a green stick is placed in a fire.
Another point of distinction is noted II
q small portion of the sample is placed
In small bottle and set In q 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. If renovated butter or
0leomargarine, the fat will be turbid,
while If genuine, fresh butter the fat
win almost certainly be entirely clear.
To manipulate what is known as the
'Waterhouse, 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 a teaspoon
ful Of butter is added and the mix j
ture stirred with q splinter of wood !
until the fat Is melted. The bottle Ia |
then placed in dish Of Ice water and
the stirring continued until the fat |
solidihes. Now, II the sample be but i
ter, either fresh or renovated, it will |
be solldified In a granular condition |
and distributed through the milk in |
small particles. If, ON the other hand,
the sample consists of oleomargarine |
1t solidihes 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 meat unnecessary, and the
larger packing houses do not employ
them. 1t sometimes happens that local
butchers sprinkle preservatives over
. cut Of meat in order that they may
Keep 1t exposed on the block or hang
ng In a show window as an adver-
tisement. The use Of chemical pre-
Iervatives with fresh meat Is confined
70 this practice alone.
PreserYatives are very commonly
used with chopped meats and sausages,
fresh sausage. They are al
ways employed with canned Vienna
ind Ffankfurter sausages inclosed in
.asings with the ends tied. Where the
.nds are cut preservatives may be abb
Ient. The reason for this is that the
required for the complete
fertilization Of sausages will either
)urst or distort the skins when the
'nds are tied, whereas sausages with
ut ends afford an opportunity for the
,scape Of the water and steam.
With many varieties Of sausagee,
10Th fresh and smoked, and with chop
ed meats Of all descriptions, coloring
natter Is sometimes employed. This Is
one partly for the purpose Of satisfy
ng an unnatural demand for a high
Olored article and partly sometimes to
onceal the grayish color Characteristic
( old meat. which should not be used
t all.
The preservatives employed with
leat products are boric acid, borax
nd supplies. To detect boric acid
bout a tablespoonful Of the chopped
heat is thoroughly macerated with a
tile water, pressed through bag and
wo or three tablespoonfuls Of the
uuid placed in sauce dish with if
cen or twenty drops Of strong hydro
hIoric acid for each tablespoonful. The
Quid is then filtered through filter pa
err and q piece Of tumeric paper dip
ed into 1t and dried near a lamp or
tove. II boric acid or borax were used
)r preserving the sample the tumeric
aper should be changed to a bright
berry red color. If too much hydro
1loric acid has been employed a dirty
rownish red color is obtained, which
lterferes with the color due to the
resence Of boric acid. Now, If drop
[ household ammonia be added to the
olored tumeric paper and 1t turns
ark green, almost black color, then
oric acid is present If the reddish
DIOR, however, was caused by the use
too much hydrochloric acid, this
reen color does not form.
The corrosive nature Of hydrochloric
I'D must not be lost sight Of 1t mus,
ot be allowed to touch the flesh,
othes or any metal.-New York Trib- '
ne. I