The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-06-24
No NEED FOR
BE:Nz.OATE IN
FRUIT SYRUP
TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL.

indianapolis. Ind. June "a. - Before
leaving for French Lick last night to
address today the members of the In
diana. PharmaceutiCal association, which
is holding its twenty eighth annual
session at that place. H. F. Barnard,
state food and drug commissioner, made
public a partial report on experiments
which have been under way in the lab
oratory of hygiene of the state board
of health to ascertain whether or not
fruit syrups used in soda fountains may
be preserved for ordinary use without
benzoate of soda. Mr.. Barnard had
prepared the report to be used as a
part of his address before the pharma-
cists today Stripped of its verbiage,
the report is to the effect that such
fruit syrups. when properly made. kept
under sanitary conditions, and kept
properly cooled. will last sufficiently
long to meet all the requirements of
any soda fountain in the state without
resorting to benzoate.
Experiments of Practical Nature.
The experiments We're of practical
nature. In April Mr.. Barnard caused
to be placed in his laboratory soda
fountain of the type common in the
drug stores and confectionery shops Of
the state, and placed I l. Miller. a
chemist in the laboratory, in charge of
series Of tests which have been under
way for two months and which have not
yet been completed. The experiment
was attempted because the soda foun-
| tain men were contending that fruit
| syrups cannot be preserved without the
use of benzoate of soda.
In his report, Mr.. Barnard lays down
one truth most emphatically-that the
soda fountain, being an intricate ma
| chine. must be kept absolutely clean
! in order that it's product may be in
any way sanitary All his observations
are based on experiments made under
absolute cleanliness. such as any soda
fountain keeper may maintain.
In preparing his syrups for the test.
! Mr.. Barnard used water known to be
absolutely free from bacteria. since bac-
terra is the chief agent of decomposi-
ton. Syrups compounds Of s. TO- u, IA
and l6 pounds of sugar to the gallon
of water We're used, but in most of the
| experiments the and l4-pound solu-
tions were used. These syrups, al
though prepared without benzoate.
neither fermented nor soured although
kept on hands for weeks. The crushed
fruits Were obtained from three sources
from the natural fruits, from tins
prepared and sold in the state for soda
fountain purposes, and the third was
from well known brand Of goods pre-
pared especially for soda fountain pur-
poses. Selected pineapples strawber-
! ries, cherries and sliced peaches were
used.
At the beginning of the experiments
the fruits were prepared both with and
, without benzoate, but as the fruits
without the preservatives soon showed
that they would keep without ferment-
ing. the benzoate goods were cast aside
since the chemist argued that if goods
without benzoate would last, those con
tanning benzoate certainly would, also
Although several Of these lots have
been kept in the fountain for a periOC
longer than that usually resorted to 10y
the soda fountain man, not one of then
have showed signs of fermentation, o.
moulding Some of the lots of whicl
there was a residue left after an ex
pertinent had been performed, were per
United to stand at room temperature
but to the surprise of even the chemist
they did not ferment nor sour but driet
] up by the evaporation of the water, tn,
! remaining solid retaining both tn
sweetness and the favor of the origina
mixture. In not a single instance hav
: moulds appeared on any of the crushe
l fruits, although they have stood, som
| of them, since April 16 in the norma