Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-16
AduIteration Of Spices.

The Connecticut State Agricultural
Experiment Station publishes the fol-
lowing about adulterated spices:
Probably no class of products has
been SO commonly and grossly adulter-
ated as ground spices. Examination
| OF numerous samples at this station
during the few years following 1896,
when the pure food law went into eff
feet, showed that from one-uuarter to
one-t third of the spices sold in Con-
| necticut were adulterated. Since the
annual retail cost of the spices sold il
| the State during these years, accord
| ing to conservative estimate, was
about 5000, 00O-fully $4,000 OF this
amount must have been expended for
fraudulent mixtures.
One of the commonest adulterants is
ground cocOanut shells, of which, so it
is stated, several hundred tons have
been annually prepared for mixing
with spices in single American city
The shells, without further treatment.
resemble closely ground allspice and
are a common admiXture of this spice.
A Glove adulterant is prepared by
roasting the cOcOanut shell powder
sufficiently to give it the desired color,
while for use in pepper, it is reduced
to a black powder by charming. In
the latter case gray color is often
secured by the addition of light COL
ored material, such as flour. or olive
stones and the pungency REINFORCED
by small amount of Cayenne.
Wheat flour. middlings and bran,
ground biscuit, white corn (maize)
meal and cornstarch, rice flour and
bran, buckwheat flour and middlings.
bean meal, pea meal, cassava tapioca)
starch, ground olive stones, sawdust.
and sulphates of lime (plaster Of gyp-
sum- are common light colored adul-
terants. These are of a suitable color
for white and black pepper, but for
cayenne pepper are often colored
with red coai-tar dyes and for mus
tard are commonly used in conjunction
with turmeric or some other yellow
dye stuffs.
Other make-weights are buckwheat
hills (for black peppeT ground
screenings, linseed meal, rice bran and
| mustard hulls.
White pepper and black pepper are
| products of the same plant. the berry
| in the former case being deprived Of
| its outer coating. The so-calied pep
per SIelS CONTAINING IlOiC VI iSSo ou-
herring dirt, obtained as a by-product
| in the preparation of white pepper,
are extensively used as an adulterant
| for black pepper. Glove stems are Of
| ten ground with cloves to the detriment
of the latter, since they contain only
about one-quarter as much oil of
| cloves, which is the valuable favoring
| constituent. Ground Glove stems are
| also frequently substituted for ground
| allspice. The dried residues. obtained
in the manufacture Of ginger extract
and ginger ale, are mixed with
ground ginger. Exhausted cloves. a
by product in the manufacture of oil
of cloves are also utilized. Mace is
sometimes mixed with Macassar mace
or with Bombay mace, the former be-
ing inferior and the latter worthless.
Excessively dirty spices containing
percentages of ash and sand above
those prescribed by the standards are
also classed as adulterated."
| Nothing could show more clearly the
Importance of avoiding bulk spices
and all doubtful brands; the safe plan
is to always insist upon having
SHADES Spices and Cream Tartar in
sealed cartons bearing the name
"Slade's"; these have been tested by
the various state chemists and ALWAYS
found absolutely pure and Of the high
est strength.