The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-08-16
SOME BUTTER TESTS s
METHODS ~ WHICH TO DISTINGUISH
THE GENUINE ARTICLE.

sages-How to Detect Doric Acid In
Meat Products.
4 is matter Of common informa-
dOn that Oleomargarine Is sometimes
| substituted for butter and that rancid
and badly made butter Is frequently
melted, washed with soda and churned
with milk for the preparation Of reno
waited or process butter.
Methods are available which. with n
little practice. may be employed to dis
tinguish between fresh butter, renovat-
ed or process butter and oleoslarga.
| rine.
The spoon" test has been suggested
as household test and Is commonly
used by analytical chemists for distin-
| gushing fresh butter from renovated
butter or Oleomargarine. A lump Of
butter two or three times the size of a
pea Is placed In large spoon ana
1t is then heated over an alcohol burn
er. IF more convenient, the spoon may
be held above the chimney Of an ordi-
nary kerosene lamp. or 1t may even be
held over an ordinary Illuminating gus
burner. If the sample in question bc
fresh butter ii will boil quietly with
the evolution Of large number Of
| small bubbles throughout the mass
which produce large amount Of FOAM
Oleomargarine and process butter. on
the other hand, sputter and crackle.
making noise similar to that heard
when IA green stick is placed In fire.
Another point of distinction is noted IL
u small portion Of the sample IL placed
IN small bottle and set In vessel of
water sufficiently warm to melt the
sample. The sample is kept melted
from half an hour to an hour, when 1t
Is examined. IL renovated butter or
oleomargarine. the fat will be turbid.
will almost certainly be entirely clear.
To manipulate what is known as the
Waterh0use. or milk, test about two
ounces Of sweet milk is placed in q
wide mouthed bottle. which Is set In
vessel Of boiling water. When the
milk Is thoroughly heated teaspoon
ful Of butter is added and the mix
ture stirred with splinter Of wood
until the fat Is melted. The bottle IL
| u
the stirring continued until the fat
solidifies. Now, II the sample be but
ter, either fresh or renovated, II will
be solidified In granular condition
and distributed through the milk In
small particles. II, on the other hand,
the sample consists Of oleomargarine
1t solidifies practically In one piece and
may be lifted by the stirrer from the
milk.
Many persons believe that the great
mass Of the fresh meat sold ON the
market Is preserved chemically. This
Impression Is entirely unfounded. The
cold storage facilities Of the present
day make the use Of preservatives
with fresh meat unnecessary. and the
larger packing houses do not employ
them. 1t sometimes happens that local
butchers sprinkle preservatlves over
cut Of meat In order that they may
Ing In show window as an adver-
tisement. The use Of chemical pre-
servatives with fresh meat 10 confined
to this practice alone.
Preservatives are very commonly
used with chopped meats and sausages,
especially fresh sausage. They are al
ways employed with canned Vienna
and Frankfurter sausages inclosed In
castings with the ends tied. Where the
ends are cut preservatives may be alb
sent. The reason for this ls that the
temperature required for the complete
sterilization Of sausages will either
burst or dlstOrt the skins when the
ends are tied. whereas sausagcs with
cut ends afford an opportunity for the
escape Of the water and steam.
With many varieties Of sausages,
both fresh and smoked. and with chop.
ped meats Of all descriptions, coloring
done partly for the purpose Of satisfy
Ing an unnatural demand for high
cOl0red article ard partly sometimes to
conceal the graylsh color characteristic
Of old meat, which should not be used
at all.
The preservatives employed with
meat products are boric acid, bOrax
and sulphites. TO detect b0ric acid
about a tablespoonful Of the chopped
| mcot IN tuutOuBuiy muCcioteu WIN -
little water. pressed through bag and
two or three tablespoOnfuls of the
liquid placed In sauce dish with A.
teen or twenty drops Of strong hydro.
chloric acid for each tablespoonful. The
liquid 10 then filtered through filter pa.
per aud 4 piece Of tumeric paper dip
ped into 1t and dried near lamp or
stove. II boric acid or borax were used
for preserving the sample the tumeric
paper should be changed to \ bright
cherry red color. II too much hydro
chlOric acid has been employed dirty
brownlsh red color is obtained, which
interferea with the color due to the
presence Of boric acid. Now. II . drop
Of household ammouia be added to the
colored tumertc paper and II turns .
dark green. almost black color, then
boric acid 10 present. II the reddish
color. however. was caused by the use
Of too much hydr0chloric acid. this
green color does not form.
uN-