The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-01
TEST YOUR FOOD.
State Board of Health Tells
How to DO It.
Housewife Hay Know Quality
of Materials.
BAD CANNED GOODS.
They Nay Easily Be Detected by
Tests.
Only Necessary to Have Simple
Chemicals on Hand.

Kitchen Chemistry. or how to De-
tect Adulterated Food" would be the
proper title for the state board of health j
bulletin issued today. The material for
the bulletin is prepared by Z. II. s.
Bailey, head of the department of chem
istry Of the state university, and it is
a compilation of simple rules by which
the housewife can tell whether the
things she buys from her grocer are
good goods. er adulterated, colored, or
-'enlbalmeds'
In order to make the tests described
in the bulletin, the following articles
viii be needed, in addition to the ordi-
nary kitchen utensils and dishes:
"A glass funnel about three inches in
diameter. some white cut hlter7paper
about i've inches in diameter; and a
medicine dropper. The chemicals re-
quired are: A 4-ounce bottle Of strong
hydrochloric (muriatic) acid: a 4-ounce
bottle of aqua ammonia; quarter of an
ounce Of ferric alum, a 4-Ounce bottle
of alcohol: a LOUNGE bottle Of tincture
of iOdin. quaTter-pound of fullers'
earth; half-ounce of logWood chips; and
a few square inches of turmeric paper.
All of these can readily be obtained al
any drug store"
How 10 Tell Bad Canned Goods.
The first series of experiments de-
scribed in the bulletin are tests OF
canned goods. Concerning canned veg
etables. the bulletin says:
'.Vegetab les put up by reputable
manufacturers who think it worth while
TO keep a good brand on the market are
usually of good quality and wholesome.
Sometimes. however. we find coloring
matter and preserva tives present No
tice the appearance OF the tin can con-
tanning canned vegetables or fruit. If
it is convex instead 81 concave at the
ends, and if when water is poured on
the end of the can and the can is pune
tured bubbles OF gas come out through
the water, the contents have begun to
ferment and are not fit for use
The only coIoring matter usually
found in canned vegetables is copper,
which is added to produce a natural
green color. This is more liable to be
found in peas and beans. 1t has also
been frequently used In pickles. To
test for copper Mash some of the
sample with a stiff spoon, and put
teaspoOnful of the pulp in a teacup,
with three times as much water. With
a medicine dropper ID thirty drops of
hydrOchloric acid, and set the cup in a
pan of boiling water on the stove Drop
a bright two-penny nail in the mix
ture, and keep the water in the pan
/ boiling for about twenty minutes, TAX
( ing care TO stir the solution occasion
ally with a splinter. Pour out the con-
tents of the cup, rinse off the nail and
examine it. If any appreciable guam
/ tity Of copper is present in the food
the nail viii plated red by the copper.
THE preservatives most commonly
used in canned vegetables are borax,
sodium benzoate. and salicylic acid
Sodium sulfite is also sometimes added
! to bleach the product and to act as a
/ preserVative. Saccharin, which acts
slightly as a preventative is used with
such vegetables as sweet corn, as
sweetening agent.
ITO detect borax or boric acid, mash
a sample with tumbler used as
pestle in a tea saucer. add a few tea
spOonfuls of water and strain through
/ a cloth, putting the wet, folded cloth
4 in the funnel. Collect about a tea
/ spoonful of the liquid that comes
! through the filter in a sauce dish, and
add to this four drops of hydrochlOric
acid. Dip into this solution piece of
! yellow turmeric paper about an inch
square. and then dry this paper by
placing it in a clean saucer over a tea
kettle of boiling water II borax IS
present the yellow paper will become
cherry red when dry, and if a drop or
two of ammonia be put upon it when
cold. the color changes TO greenish
black.
ITO detect sodium benzoate or ben
zoic acid macerate and filter the sam
pie as above. using somewhat larger
quantity BY squeezing the bag gently,
( obtain two ounces OF the liquid Place
/ this solution In a narrow bottle holding
about five ounces. The ordinary quiz
nine bottle of the druggist is conVen-
lent to use for this purpose Add
quarter Of a teaspoonful of cream of
tartar and about three tablespoonful
of chloroform, and mix thoroughly
/ with d splinter. Do not shake too
vigorously or the chloroform VIII not
separate readily from the rest Of the
LIQUID Pour the mixture into a tum-
bier and after the chloroform layer
has settled to the bottom Of the tum-
bier with medicine dropper take
out all the clear choroform possible,
and place one-half of it in a glass
sauce dish and the remainder in tall
five ounce bottle containing about a
tablespoonful of water. Set the dish
on the outside of q window ledge, close
the window. and allow the chloroform
TO evaporate. In cold weather the
sauce dish should be placed in pan
of hot water before being placed on
the window ledge When the chloro-
form has evaporated, if benzcic acid IS
preseut.it will be seen in the bottom of
the dish in small. fiat crystals If the
dish is warmed the peculiar odor OF
gum benzoin can be readily recog-
nized.
ITO test for saicylic acid. use the