The Detroit times., 1913-04-22
WARNS AGAINST
DILUTED MILK
: FOR INFANTS
Food Commissioner HeIme Says
Condensed Product Should
BE Used With Discretion
WHEN HIGHLY DILUTED
TOO THIN FOR FOOD
The Manufacturers Directions
Should Not BE Relied on i'm
Preparing Fluid

LANSING, Mich. April 2l.-State
Dairy and Food Commissioner James
w Helme this morning issued spe-
cial bulletin OF the state dairy and
food department warning mothers
against the indiscriminate Use OF
diluted condensed milk in feeding in
fants, The statement follows:
One Of the greatest trlumphs OF
the age is the successful evaporation
and condensing OF milk SO that wher-
ever man journeys. whether IN the
poles or in the tropics. the tactical fluid
OF the COW can always be procured.
II is unfortunate, however, that
some manufacturers of condensed
milk have been SO eXtravagant III the
claims of their product as 10 serious
" affect human life. Most manufac-
turers give on their cans a formula
Tor extending their milk with water
which sometimes makes ii appear TO
be cheaper than the natural product.
Ordinary milk from the average
COW contains about II per cent total
solids OF which IL per cent Is butter
tat and the balance casein. albumen
and milk sugar. This department
purchased several cans of milk on the
open market and diluted the same
with water until the solution equaled
normal milk. having a per cent but
ter fat content which is the legal
standard in Michigan. Such milk was
found to cost as follows per quart for
the following brands. -Four X 10
4 atNss nt md
Premier brands, 10 cents per quart,
Nu-Way, cents per quart, Leader,
10 cents per quart and Eagle brand
II cents per quart. All OF these milks
before dilution contained less than 10
per cent butter fat, while the legal
standard for commercial cream Is IS
per cent.
Condensed milks are therefore
rather dearer than ordinary milk in
most cities. IL is the convenience, not
the cheapness Of condensed milk that
should appeal TO the consumer. The
directions for manufacturing on some
OF these cans are very misleading.
Take the Eagle brand, one OF the best
known 10 the trade. II gives on the
can directions for infant feeding as
follows: One month old, dilute LID.
This would give the baby milk con-
tanning about & 10 per cent total
solids which would have in 1t less than
per cent (S2), butter fat Normal
human milk and cows milk are about
the same. IL per cent total solids with
5 - per cent butter fat. Is not a
milk containing less than | per cent
butter Fat too thin for growing babe?
Further directions on the can are
dilute 1-i2 for second month This
would give a butter fat OF less than
per cent (.93D The third month a
dilution OF 40 Is recommended This
gives lilo per cent butter fat, less
than one-third of normal milk Fora
babe 1912 months old a diution Of
1-6 Is recommended. Even this only
gives butter fat content OF "a per
cent, about half tnat OF normal milk
We believe these dilutions are
much too thin for babies. Representa-
tive Whelan has introduced a bill in
the legislature which has passed the
house and is now pending in the sen
ate. requiring all condensed milk 70 be
labeled on the can with formula
that when extended. will be equal to
legal standard milk When this law Ia
passed every consumer can intelligent.
" use condensed milk.
JAMES w. HTIME.
State Dairy and Food Commissioner /"