The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-15
Well Paid to Taste Wines, Beers, Whiskies, and All the
DeEcacies-But Red Pepper Is Also on the Menu.
The Red Pepper Expert Wants No More Seasoning
as Long as He Lives-Paid from $1,000 to $4,000 a
Year-Trava from City to City, Slipping Champagne
and Tasting Costly Foodstufs.

who depended largely upon his sense of
smell When he came across any ur-
known. he told me, he was guided en-
tirely in its analysis by his sense OF
smell. And in his case his sense of smell
was so acute that his work as a whole
was above 90 per cent"
In all decomposed food-stuffs a sense
Of taste and smell are all that Is nee
essary to determine the quality of the
materials. One special line is that done
by Miss Read. She made an extended
investigation with frozen and dried eggs.
and throughout her work was largely
guided by her ability to smell and taste
the slightest faint This also holds true,
to a large extent, in testing preserved
fruits, jellies. canned goods, &C. With
jellies. for instance, a chemical analysis
of raspberry and strawberry jelly would
show practically no difference. Only by
taste could the difference be detected.
Flavor does not respond to analysis, and
in everything where 1t plays an important
part taste is the principal medium used
in connection with IL.
This is particularly so in the case OF
butter. Thomas Cornelius, who Is the but
ter expert at Washington, said: Butter Is
scored entirely by taste. smell. and sight.
By scored" / mean grading according TO
popular ideas. We have a special instru-
ment for this work. similar to an apple
corer. In testing butter we take out a
plug with the aid of this instrument. In
scoring, a scale OF one hundred points is
made. Of which forty-five goes for flavor
and aroma. These, naturally, are deter
mined solely by taste and smell Twenty
FIVE per cent is given for grain, or body.
determined by sight 10 for color, 10 for
salt, and for the package and general
appearance In using such a method
II can readily be seen that taste and
smell play the largest part. practically
half the points being given for flavor
and aroma alone"
A similar process is used in connection
with sampling cheese and milk, with.
however, a slightly different basis. In
cheese, for instance, II is mashed up in
the fingers until ii is soft and warm
enough for the true aroma to be notice
able. In testing milk an important fac
tor is visible dirt Taste is used In test
ing milk, although in determining the
Of bacteria and fat contained
an ANALYSIS Is necessary.
Much that holds true in connection
with foodstuffs also is true in the case
of drugs. According to DR.. Kebler.
chief of Uncle Sans drug store, taste
and smell, although not to be entirely
relied upon, are very necessary. He
also brought out another interesting
point. I'm connection with all the work
coming under the food and drug act
he said. "a sense of taste and smell
cannot be entirely relied upon Neither
could be made the sole argument in
court When we bring an injunction
against firm, for instance, for aduiter-
ated or mislabeled articles. We must
have better proof than that furnished
merely by taste or smell. However. I
do not mean to saw that both are not
largely used in our work. Chemists are
able TO do much by their use. Many
times. for instance. by either tasting or
smelling an article the person so doing
will be able to determine what method
OF analysis Is necessary to secure the
best result In our work smell and
taste serve as an indicator rather than
as a part of the actual work"
Copyright, 1915. by William L. Altdorfrl