San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-21

inefficient within comparatively
short time after eating. and that this
defect could be remedied by a die,
containing a considerable amount OF
fat.
Some fats, however, are not as CON-
pletely digested when taken into the
body as others, and, therefore. are not
so highly nutritious nor do they fur
nish such large supply of energy.
Experiments carried out in the De
partment of Agriculture show that all
the commoner vegetable oils, such as
olive. cottonseed, peanut, corn, soya
bean and cocoanut oils are 81 to rs
per cent digested in the human body
The oil of the avocado fruit. or ALI
gator pear is an exception to this rule
since it is digested only to the exten;
of IS per cent. This oil must, how
ever, be regarded more as a curiosity
at present than as a usual food. On
the other hand, many animal fats, Oh
account of their melting at temper
allure higher than that of the body, dc
not show such a high digestibility
Beef suet was shown to be about 81.
per cent, mutton suet less than s.
per cent, and oleo stearin only so pei
cent digested.
Tests were also made on artifiicallv
hardened vegetable oils, hardening the
oils so that they would melt at diff
ferent temperatures. These were found
to retain their high digestibility, wher
hardened so that they melted at abou,
this point their digestibility decreased
a Q hnr al ,x,N
Food Fats Highly Nutritious.
Most of the vegetable oils contain
a large amount of unsaturated oil
which readily oxidizes in contact win
air. Food cooked with the refined but
not hydrogenated oils will, therefore.
frequently have an unpleasant flavor
of oxidized oil. When such oils are
heated for a considerable time in the
presence of air the oil is converted
into gummy, rubber-like substance
and is no longer food material at
all. 1t is this oxidation which takes
place when the oil is used for cooking
foods, giving rise to less extent to
the formation of this quite indigestible
material.
1t will be seen, therefore, that all
vegetable fats or oils commonly used
as foods are highly nutritious and
about equally so, provided they are
pure, neutral and wholesome with a
melting point sufficiently low to make
them readily assimiiable and digestibl.
and especially if they have been hard
ened to the proper degree. The melt
ing point of Crisco is safely below the
temperature of the body.
If asked to describe the kind of fat
most suitable for food we would say
that it should be clean, neutral. ny
drogenated vegetable fat produced un
der sanitary conditions, having a good
appearance, free from rancidity, or
Objectionable odor or taste. To make
It convenient to handle, and not cas-.
lily oxidiZable, it should be neither too
hard nor too soft, but of a semi-solii
consistency. 1t should be as nearly as
possible completely digested When
taken into the system, as this is the
measure of its nutritive value.
Tests for Manufactured Fats.
The product should be-: food In
highly concentrated form; devoid Of
any unpleasant odor; having only a
slight flavor, that of pure, sweet, vege-
table fatT clean. pure and wholesome !;
vegetable oil hardened to Just the
right degree. making it convenient 10
handle, but still melting completely at
about the temperature of the body, 50
that it retains its high digestibilit7
and nutritive value.
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