Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-04
FOOD VALUES ARE FOUND
hBOTTLED SOFT DRINKS
department Of Agriculture Bureau
Sts 81. Of Chemistry Reports Upon
Conditions.
SUGAR SUBSTITUTES ARE USED
Government Advocates These as Part
OF Conservation and Better Health
Plan-Niore Than 3,OOO,O00,OO0
Bottles Sold Yearly.

SIS MASHIHGroH. May Slave you
I q ny idea what things are in the bot
tied soft drinks YOU consume-those
! 3,00o.0oo.ooo bottles that. unhampered
I after July next by strong COMPETE
ticns may grow 10 more billions?
Well. some contain one thing. some
another. but all contain water. flavor
sweeteninE and carbon dioXide gas
y Those four things are the basic essen
tials Of a bottled soft drink, There
and there may he an acid-usually
either the citrc acid found in lemons
or tartaric acid found i'll grapes
{ though sometimes mineral acids are
ment. such as red pepper cinnamon,
allspice, cloves. or nutmeg. There is
almost certainly a trace Of alcohol
And that just about covers what is
likely to be found in soft drinks, ac-
cording TO specialists in the bureau
CT Chemistry. United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.
The fiavors used for soft drinks in
ciude ginger, sarsaparilla root beer
birch beer. chocolate. cream. colas
cherry. wild cherry, lemon. strawberry,
Others. and Very frequently two
tlavors are combined i'll the same pro
duct
May Continue Substitutes.
Prior TO 1914 the sweetcning used
was almost universally ,sranulated
sugar began TO be felt. however. large
uSeHwas made OF such substitutes as
corn strip or glucose, corn sugar or
CONNIE rcial deNtrosc, maltese sirup,
resIners' strip and honey. Such sub
stitutions were encouraged war
measure by the Department OF Agri-
cultufe, which now thinks II probable
that some of these substitutes Will be
used. regularly. The department. IS
even OF the opinion that the use of
certain substitutes is frequently desir-
able. 4 larger quantity OF the sub
stitute is ordinarily required 10 secure
Z the drink is given more body and
\ hus-'a higher food value. SwecteninS
ingredients, other than ordinary sugar.
should, be declared on the labels OF
soft drinks shipped into interstate
commerce.
Food value in soft drink is ordi-
narily not considered by the person
DEDICATION of the palate or the quench-
ing of thirst but the fact remains that
good soft drinks do, contain sonsidera-
BILE food Such products as ginger ale,
the phosphate drinks. tho grape drinks
and lemon sours contain from three I,
fourths to one and half ounces %,
is equal to or double, approXimat ely.
thessugar ration allowed to a meal un-
derswar conditions. One hundred thou
in the soft-drink industry.
Gas. Too, Is Wholesome.
The carbon dioxde gas that is pres
emit In all bottled soft drinks is a
Wholesome product, identical with the
carbon dioXide which occurs naturally
: in certain mineral springs in the
United States. the waters Of which arc
highly priced for their effervescent
with the exception of vanilla. near
~ all bottled soft drinks are artin-
cially colored. Ginger ale, sarsapa-
rilla. root beer. birch beer. chocolate
and,'-the colas are ordinarily colored
with caromel-which is another name
for burnt sugar. The other drinks are
usually colored with one of the per-
mitted dyes. napthol yellow for lemon
and orange drinks, amaranth. ponceau
orserythroSine for cherry, strawberry.
raspberry and the like. The use OF
certain harmless dyes is permitted by
the national food and drug law, pro-
vided they do not conceal inferiority
and that the presence of the dye is
plainly declared on the label BY ex-
amining the label on the bottle one
may know whether the soft drink he
buys contains an artificial color.
Many drinks contain the pure acids
OF the fruits they simulate. but others
contain mineral acids. phosphorc be-
ing \, frequently used and suiphuric
and hydrochloric less frequently. The
United States Department OF Agricul-
ture. in a recent publication on the
composition and value OF bottled soft