The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-09
EXPERT TAKES A RAP
AT THE EGG SUBSTITUTES

III IUI IOU OUDOIIIUIEO
The following article is taken from
"The Journal of the American Medi
cal association, Volume II, No. 2. 1t
should be read by all grocery dealers
and housewives:
Probably few foods are so widely
used, so greatly relished or so much to
be depended on as are eggs. The
canny Scot may always be trusted as
a judge Of values, and the story is
| told Of the Highlander and the Tommy
whO,, on duty in France, captured
hen. The Tommy was anxious to kill
it at once and eat it, but the High
lander said: mo, let us keep her until
tomorrow. She might lay an egg. Ger
tain thrifty manufacturers, realizing
the great demand for this food pro-
duct and the rapidly increasing price,
have placed on the market sO-called
substitutes. At least fifty such pro-
ducts are already available. At the
request of the Pennsylvania State De-
partment OF Agriculture, Prof c. H.
laval investigated more than forty of
these substitutes. In the introduction
to his report he says:
"One of the most reprehensible
ways of making money is to take some
common, everyday substance, disguise
or alter it's appearance in some way,
make lot Of exaggerated statements
regarding it, and then sell it for about
ten or fifteen times it's market value,
extoIling it as an economical substi-
tute for some expensive article. There
has been no preparation of this class,
within recent years, that has sprung
into prominence with such rapidity as
the so-called egg substitutes and with
so little merit or legitimate warrant
for their manufacture and SALE"
| The specimens exhibited resemble
the patent medicine" in many ways
besides the method Of promotion. 1t
must be evident to any one that from
2 to ounces of yellow powder can
not possibly represent the nutritive
value of two or three dozen eggs, and
yet this is one of the mildest claims
made by most Of these explOiters.
There is no question that these sub
stitutes, rather than furthering econo-
my, really add to the high cost Of liv-
ing. Practically every one of them has
been found to be chiefly cornstarch
covered with coal tar. The protein
content varies from or to 35 percent
Commercially dried egg, which is
legitimate market product, contains
about as per cent of protein. An egg
of average size has a nutritive value
have total food value Of 270O calOr-
les. The nutritive value of almost any
of the substitutes is about 100 an
ounce, so that the largest of any of the
packages would have nutritive value
of less than one-sixth the number Of
eggs it claims to replace. In other
words, the purchaser replaces an ar
ticle of diet with product costing
one-third as much, but having from
one-sixth to one-eighth Of the food
value. Moreover, the substitute is col
ored with an artificial coal tar dye, the
purpose being deceptive. The names
of the product in every case are
chosen to attract the purchaser. They
range from simple Ego to Egg-Less,
Eggnit, Sa-Van-Egg and the less gra-
NAUTICAL Saveaegg to the Miracle Egg
Dispens er,ear-Egg and the miserable
pun, Eco Non-O1My. Lawalls con-.
illusions are worthy of reprinting in
toto:
First The brightest light of pub
licity should be shed on these pro-
ducts, and the heaviest weight Of Of
fetal authority should be invoked to
discourage their manufa cture and
sale.
Second They afford an opportuni-
ty for unpatriotic profiteering, COM
bined with the development of the art
of camoufiage to the point of perfec-
tion
Third. Their names are deceptive;
their composition in no wise resembles
that of egg; the presence of color, in
those where it is used, is fraud, and
the claims as to replacing value arc
either deliberate misstatements or am
J biguous phrases.
| Finally. Egg substitutes serve no
purpose that cannot be served just as
satisfactorily and much more cheap
ly by articles in daily use in every
household"
| The food commissioner of Pensyl-
vania, cOncurring in the statements
of Professor laval states that these
substitutes are in violation of the
general food ait of that state, and if
found for sale in the state of Pennsyl-
vania, they will be dealt with accord
ingly.
| the Robb home during the past week:
| Mr.. and Mrs. Theo. Wendtland and