Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-25
MICROBES IN FOOD.
Department Of Agriculture Gives
Rules 10 House wives.

Rules TO House wives.
Wise rules to housewives for guarding
against harmful microbes in milk. bread.
fruit. meats and other foods are given
by the scientists Of the government in n
publication issued by the department Of
agriculture. II tells all about the count
less numbers Of tiny living things called
micro-oruanisms" which are every
where looking for chance to fasten
upon and spoil food preparations.
These microscopic plants flourish in the
kitchen storerooIn. ice box. milk room
ana cellar Tho bulk Of these minute
forms OF life ere harmless. under usual
conditions. aome are useful. like those
which ripen milk; and many are harm
full since they cause waste or may be a
direct cause of disease.
Not only do yeasts. molds and bacteria
appropriate ou~ food. with tho result that
It sours. rots. putrefes. but they some
times leave behind disagrecable conse-
Quences like the musty and moldy odor
and flavor OF some spoiled food or the
substances called ptomaines. which are
sometimes poisonous.
Not until millions of yeast cells are
mnssed together do they become visible
to the eve as IN the compressed Yeast
cake Yeast plants are practically every
where and ave- NJ many varieties. some
being called Wld yeasts. in distinction
from those We have learned to cultivate
for the making of bread. The old-fash-
toned method OF making milk-ris,ng or
self rising bread depends on wild yea st
falling into dough and causing the bread
TO rise. method not always successful,
because othcr organisms the bacteria
also had q chance al the dough- and
sometimes got the hotter of the Yeast In
the Struggle for food. and the result Of
their life in tho dough was sour or bitter
bread.
Even when NE are able to utilize the
life processes of the Yeast plant its good
offices are paid Cor with a certain amount
Of food material thus. when introduced
into the bread dough II breaks up part
of the sugar present into alcohol and
carbonc acid gas. and the gas stretches
out In the elutinous mass. making the
pourous loaf which at the right moment
is stiAfcned by the heat Of the oven.
In the same way the wild yeast attacks
the sugar In the stewed fruit that has
stood exposed on warm day or the
Jelly LETT uncovered. or sometimes even
when apparently covered. only IN these
cases .he gas evolved serves no useful
purpose and The fermentation ruins the
taste OF the food. Yeasts grow best at
temperature Of 20 degree TO % de-
grees F.: therefore, food that IL to he
protected from their action mustA be
kept we'll below that point.
The appearance Of mold as growing on
bread. cheese and other foods is familiar
to every housewife. The spores of the
different varieties OF mold are every
where present. and they need only
warmth and moisture to enable them to
grow on man. kinds Of food. These or
ganisms are always ut work In damp
cellars and In dark and damp corners
Of rooms they are borne on the feet OF
insects. they are on the skins OF al,
fruits. and in the dust ny!ng In the air
They are not fond OF light. and they
require no great abundance of air. -four
ishing best in foods that are piled close
together. leaving small undisturbcd air
spaces and moisture.
The growth OF most molds Is retarded
ny light. ventilation and low tempera-
ture From the standpoint or household
sanitation bacteria are the most I'm
portant Of these micro-nrge nisms They
are very widely distributed. the soil
teens with them. they nre In the air. IN
water. and ir all food exposed TO dust
and air.
In soma foods bacteria. ~. the early
stages Of their action, leave no disagree
able or unhealthful effects. SO far as
yet proved. Meat Is in some measure
ripensd by bacterial action. and the
"gamey" taste given meat by changing"
comes in part from the same cause.
though In both cases the changes are
chiefly due to the action OF ferments nor.
mally present. II is not easy to draw
the line between the harmless ripeninr
processes and the bacter al changes
classed ms decay, hut If the bacteria nrc
allowed to GROW without hindrance the
time comes when the food, either ami
NAL or vegeta BILE, attacked by bacteria
breaks up into a loathsome mass.
The food may become dangerous even
before II shows outward signs of do
composition. for the bacteria may give
on substances known MS ptomaines
some OF which are very poisonous 10
man. Certain apparently mysterious
cases Of Illness have been traced to such
causes. and milk. fish, meat. cheese.
ba ked beans. ice cream md other foods
poisoning This sori OF poisoning is not
a true bacterial disease: that Is. il Is mt
due as in typhoid fever. TO the growth
of an organism fr the body. but the Ill
ness results from the Introduction into
the system Of poisonous substances al
ready formed in the food by bacteria.