New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-07-10
EGGLESS NOODLES;
COLORED MACARONI
Manufacturers Inclined to De-
fraud Housewives

Washington, D. c., July 10.-Re-
cent activity on the part of certain
noodle and macaroni manufacturers
in selling noodles artificially colored
yellow as a'egg noodles when they
contain little or no egg, has led the
federal and state food officials to
seek means of stopping this fradu-
lent traffic 1t is the custom in taxi
ing up matters of this kind to afford
an opportunity for hearing to all
manufacturers and other interested
parties in order to permit them to
present reasons for or against trade
practices Accordingly, the joint
committee on the definitions and
Standards. representing the associa-
ton Of American Dairy, Food and
Drug officials, the association OF Of
fetal Agricultural chemists, and the
u. S. department of agriculture, RE-
Gently held a hearing in order to
secure all possible information in re
gard to the manufacture of noodles
macaroni, and similar alimentary
pastes
To the average perso 1t would
seem an easy matter to answer such
questions as What are noodles 2" Or.
is macaroni ?" The question, how
ever, is not so easy to answer if put
in this way. "How much egg must
manufacturer add to his noodles
before he is legally entitled to Ia
BILE his product egg noodles ?" The
question Of amount might be stated
this way: eff the manufacturer uses
just a trifling amount Of egg, can
the product legally be labeled egg
noodles ~
Evidence of Fraud.
1t was brought out at the hearing
that fraudulent practices have crept
into the manufacture of noodles. mac
aroni, and spaghetti, which make it
difficult for reputable manufacturers
unadulterated goods to meet the
competition Of the cheapened product,
whereby the consumer receive an artil
Gle that contains foreign coloring mat
ter but much less nutritive substance
than the genuine noodles or macaroni
he expects to receive. Good egg
noodles should contain a substantial
amount of egg, but articles labeled
"egg noodles which contain only a
trace Of egg and in some instance none
at all have been put on the market.
The eggless "egg noodles for ex-
ample, are artificially colored yellow
by means of dye, SO that to the un-
initiated they look exactly like the
noodles that contain real egg. Some
manufacturers have been unable to
see why they should add eggs at from
thirty to fifty cents per dozen when
the same characteristic yellow can be
obtained by the addition of a dye at
cost that is comparatively negligible.
Where the output of factory is large,
the illegitimate profits made by SUBJ
shutting yellow dye for eggs may be
very great.
How Much Egg in Noodle?
If noodles were sold merely for
ornaments it might make little differ
ence to the purchaser whether the
yellow came from an egg or from a.
dye, but when considered as food,
whether or not they contain any eggs
or enough egg to be of value as food,
is important. For it is possible to
make yellow noodles without any eggs
at all and also to spread one egg over
great many noodles and add enough
dye to give an attractive color 1t
was important, therefore, to find
whether a mere suspicion of egg en-
ployed in an attempt to escape the
law on technicality would be con-
sidered in the trade justification for
calling the product "egg noodles"
Macaroni Dyed To Deceive.
Dye has been used also for the
purpose of deception in the manufac-
ture of macaroni The best grade or
macaroni is made from the semolina
Of Durum wheat This semolina Is
rich in gluten which consists of the
nitrogenous> substances of the grain,
and is high in food value. This
wheat has its own characteristic yell
low color, which is rightly associated
in the minds of purchasers with the
highest grade products. The yellow
color, however can like that OF the
egg, be accurately reproduced by use
of certain dyes. 1t has become the
practice for certain manufacturers to
make macaroni from grades of flour
which are much less expensive than
those from which macaroni is GUS
tomarily made. This cheap substi-
tute is artificially colored. by the adj
dition OF dye, to look SO nearly like
the high grade, genuine Durum semo-
lima that the ordinary purchaser is
completely deceived.
Artificial coloring matter in noodles
and macaroni serves no useful purpose
It is added solely for the |
purpose of deception. Even harm |
less dye adds nothing in the way os |
taste or nourishment. An easy way !
to determine whether macaroni and |
noodles have been artificially colored |
is to examine the water in which they |
have been cooked; If they have been |
artificially colored with soluble dyes |
the water will be yellow. This, |
however, is not an infallible test, |
as some OF the yellow dyes employed |
do not dissolve or color water.
Macaroni Prices For Water.
There have long been regulations /