The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-30
WAR ON OUR FOOD
Experts Make More Startling
Disclosures.
Little Of What We Eat Is Up to
Standard.
BUTTER ON THE LIST.
Contains Too Much Water-NOt
Enough Fat.
FIavOring Extracts Are a De-
lusiOn and a Snare.


Sensational disclosures concerning a
large number of food products are
made in a bulletin issued today by the
Kansas state board Of health.
Reports of analyses OF food products
are made by both z. H. S. Bailey, Of
the State university and J. T. Willard
Of the State Agricultural college, and
many statements are made which not
only hit the food stuns manufactured
in other states and sold in Kansas, but
also includes a good many Kansas
products
Prof. Willard examined samples of
creamery butter. and found that each
4of the three samples were short in but
ter fat and long In water, and were
also short in weight. The government
standard for pure butter is 16 per cent
water and S25 per cent fat, together
with q small percentage for salt, ash
and curd- The following is the result
of Prof. Willard's tests:
Primrose butter, Continental cream
cry, Topeka; butter fat 1880; water
1850; curd L90; salt and ash 40.
Meadow Gold butter, Continental
creamery, Topeka; butter fat 1909; wa
ter POSI-: curd .99; salt and ash 3.55.
Avondale butter, Morris Ccreamery
company; butter fat 1871 water 1905;
curd 81; salt and ash 2.21.
None OF these samples gave any indi-
cation Of renovation or the use of pre-
servatiyes.
Prof. Willard says:
at VIII be seen that all three of the
samples contained an excessive amount
Of water and lacked considerably in
meeting the legal standard of 82.5 per
cent of fat. The temptation to increase
the 'overrun' by this fraudulent inc0r-
fporatiOn of undue quantities of water
SIS very great.
Exclusive of wrappings, the print Of
Meadow Gold butter, including the
parchment paper, weighed Alb grams,
which is less than IS ounces The Av
ondale print, with its parchment wrap
per, weoghed 40 grams and was thus
nearly an ounce short in weight. These
are the weights of the prints when re
ceived at the laboratory, but they
could have lost but very little weight
an transmission, and even that would
have been water, which they possessed
In undue quantity"
Personalities in Meats.
Prof. Bailey examined a large num-
Der Of samples of sausages, and found
that preservatives of various kinds
were used in many Of them. He says
in his report on the subject:
A variety of samples of different
kinds of sausages. such as wiener,
bologna, etc, purchased in Kansas
City, and put UP by the Nelson Morris
company. were examined. One of
these contained sulfftes in small guam
titles, and one. the bologna sausage,
contained considerable borax.
Newer Bros, Kansas City, sausage.
Only traces of sulfte found.
Chopped sausage. put up by Peet,
Kansas City. This sample contained
considerable sodium sulhte as a pre-
servative and for the purpose of re-
tanning the red color.
Several samples of sausage, put up
by the Fowler Packing company, Kan
sas City, examined, were found to be
z reserved with sodium sulfite."
He examined samples of sausage put
up by Swift. by the S. & S. company,
by Armour and a second lot of sam
pies from Fowler, with negative re-
suits.
"Cider vinegar Not the Real Thing.
The Bailey report also lands hard on
certain brands of vinegar. 1t says
Sample labeled Pure High-grade
Cider Vinegar, Capital City Chemical
company, Topeka. This is sold in bot
ties. The sample contains 1855 per
cent OF acetic acid, 0.24 per cent of to-
tai solids, and 0.03 per cent of ash
This is not genuine cider vinegar,
but belongs TO the same class as 277S;
that is. it is distilled or alcohol vine
gar. This is a fragrant case of mis-
branding, and the sale of vinegar Of
this class Is distinctly prohibited by
the general statutes of Kansas
"RfdenOur-Baker company, Kansas
City Sample taken from fifty gallon
barrel labeled White Wine Vinegar
This vinegar contains 4.37 per cent of
acetic add, 0.2S per cent OF total
solids, and 0.07 per cent of ash The
remarks made in Bulletin No. 1 in re-
gard to the so-called White Wine
Vinegar apply ITO this sample. It is
evidently a distilled or alcohol vinegar.
According to Leach. In the United
States the term white Wine Vinegar"
is usually applied to distilled or spirit
vinegar, which is much cheaper than
the real wine vinegar. and altogether
inferior to it.
Sample labeled cider Vinegar
Washburn Cidermill, Topeka. This
contains 8.15 per cent Of acetic acid.
2.14 per cent Of total Solids and Ole
per cent Of ash There is nothing to
Indicate that this Is not a cider vine
gar, as stated. The sample IS, how
ever, deficient in acetic acid (the acid
of vinegar or, in other words, It IS
too dilute. In many states the Law s
fixes the minimum amount of acetic
acid that shall be present, but It is
hardly ever below S.5 per cent The
minimum per cent of acettc acid in
forty-four analyses, quoted by one of
the best authorities. for genuine cider
vinegar is 3.5S per cent, while the
average amount Of acetic acid is 4.65
per cent
Sample taken from barrel labeled
Pure cider Vinegar, H J. Heinz,
Pittsburg, q. s. A. This contains 4.51
per cent of acetic acid, 2.40 per cent
Of total solids, and 0.1S per cent OF
ash A genuine cider vinegar"
No Embalming Fluid Found in Milk
Prof willard says in his report on
samples OF milk examined.
Eight samples of milk bought in
the Topeka market were examined as
to per cent. Of butter fat and presence
OF formaldehyde and salicylic, benzoic
Gnd boric acids In all cases neither
ornaIdehyde, boric acid nor boraz
was present Tests for salicylic and
benzoic acids were not altogether sat
fsfactory. but no conclusive evidence
OF their presence was obtained. The
samples came from the following
named dealers and showed the per
centages of fat stated: Hughes 6
Jones. S.85; Topeka Pure MIX com
pany, z.40; Peter Heinz, $50: Kin
lead q Pugh, 40; w. Bradbury
9a. a. SadIemire. $40: 7. c. Meg