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THE

ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA.

ADULTERATION OF FOOD. During recent years there has been a great popular outery in egard to the injurious adulteration of various articles of food, and the newspapers and health pournals have been filled with sensational statenents of the vast amount of dangerous impuries to be found in our food-supply. As a fact, ew articles of food are so adulterated as to be artful to health; they are more commonly histicated by the intermixture of other subdences in a manner chiefly, injurious to commercial interests. It is necessary to distinguish clearly between these two classes of deceptions, so as to estimate the danger from adulteration, and to provide proper safeguards against it.

A

Impurities of food may be divided into three classes: Deleterious adulterations, such as the use of red-lead in cayenne pepper, or chromate of lead in mustard. 2. By far the largest Jass, fraudulent adulterations, illustrated by the use of floar in mustard, chicory in coffee, end terra alba in cream of tartar, 3. Accidental adulterations, due to the mixture of small amounts of deleterious substances, owing to some imperfection in the process of manufacture. In these cases the amount of impurity is limited, and the effect is unimpor

tant

The following statistics show the prevalence and proportion of adulteration of food as recaled by recent oficial investigations abroad and at home. In March, 1883, out of 1,118 usb les examined at the Paris laboratory by Severnment officials, 271 were returned as good, 221 as passable, 616 as bad, of which 545 were not ungarions," and 71 were pronounced jarious. Wines formed by far the largest wortion of articles examined, and, as a rule, e reported as deficient in purity. Of 257 ples of milk, 26 were returned as good, 116 passoble, and 115 as bad, but not injurious. trent Britain, since 1875, the Government doors show the following number of artislyzed, and the percentage of adulter

VOL. XXIV.-1 A

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These totals do not repops Busty exclusively, for drugs, wines, spirts, and bear are included, nor do they cover the whole of Great Britain. As a result of the past five years' official supervision in that country, the amount of adulteration was reduced only 12 per cent. Of the samples of milk analyzed, the por cont. of adulterated varied from 20 in 1877 to 20-35 in 1883, butter, Inding oleomargarine sold as butter, 12 to 15 per cent.; groceries, 13 to 10 per cent.; bread and tour, 681 to 432 per cent. In Canada, as a result mainly of publishing the names of dealers in impure articles, the amount of adulteration has been greatly reduced. In 1876, when work began, 51.66 per cent. of the articles examined were adulterated. In 1882 these figures had been reduced to 25 66 per cent.

The reports of State analysts in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, and other States, all of late date, indicata tas staple articles of food, such as are found a pr dinary households, are rarely adulterized with injurious substances. The sophistication of such articles would be about as folkeen pylees and condiments, 66 per cent, pound, woffee, 45 per cent.; tea, 48 per dev atgal, the highest grades rarely, the lower pinles, 20 per cent.; sirup, 50 per cent.: silk, when not inspected, 50 per cent.; flour mate, bread, about 2 per cent.; cream of tutor and baking-powders, 44 per cent.; botter, 40 per cent. (by the substitution of other fete); vinegar is rarely adulterated, but is seldom made of cider; oliveoil. 60 per cent.

The character of the adulterants employed

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THE

ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA.

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ADULTERATION OF FOOD. During recent years there has been a great popular outcry in regard to the injurious adulteration of various articles of food, and the newspapers and health journals have been filled with sensational stateinents of the vast amount of dangerous impurities to be found in our food-supply. As a fact, few articles of food are so adulterated as to be hurtful to health; they are more commonly sophisticated by the intermixture of other substances in a manner chiefly injurious to commercial interests. It is necessary to distinguish clearly between these two classes of deceptions, so as to estimate the danger from adulteration, and to provide proper safeguards against it.

A

Impurities of food may be divided into three classes: 1. Deleterious adulterations, such as the use of red-lead in cayenne pepper, or chromate of lead in mustard. 2. By far the largest class, fraudulent adulterations, illustrated by the use of flour in mustard, chicory in coffee, and terra alba in cream of tartar. 3. Accidental adulterations, due to the mixture of small amounts of deleterious substances, owing to some imperfection in the process of manufacture. In these cases the amount of impurity is limited, and the effect is unimportant.

The following statistics show the prevalence and proportion of adulteration of food as revealed by recent official investigations abroad and at home. In March, 1883, out of 1,118 articles examined at the Paris laboratory by Government officials, 271 were returned as good, 231 as passable, 616 as bad, of which 545 were 'not injurious," and 71 were pronounced injurious. Wines formed by far the largest portion of articles examined, and, as a rule, were reported as deficient in purity. Of 257 samples of milk, 26 were returned as good, 116 as passable, and 115 as bad, but not injurious. In Great Britain, since 1875, the Government returns show the following number of articles analyzed, and the percentage of adulteration:

VOL. XXIV.-1 A

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These totals do not represent foods exclusively, for drugs, wines, spirits, and beer are included, nor do they cover the whole of Great Britain. As a result of the past five years' official supervision in that country, the amount of adulteration was reduced only 1.2 per cent. Of the samples of milk analyzed, the per cent. of adulterated varied from 26 in 1877 to 20.35 in 1882; butter, including oleomargarine sold as butter, 12 to 15 per cent.; groceries, 13 to 10 per cent.; bread and flour, 6·84 to 4.32 per cent. In Canada, as a result mainly of publishing the names of dealers in impure articles, the amount of adulteration has been greatly reduced. In 1876, when the work began, 51.66 per cent. of the articles examined were adulterated. In 1882 these figures had been reduced to 25 66 per cent.

The reports of State analysts in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, and other States, all of late date, indicate that staple articles of food, such as are found in ordinary households, are rarely adulterated with injurious substances. The sophistication of such articles would be about as follows: Spices and condiments, 66 per cent.; ground coffee, 45 per cent.; tea, 48 per cent.; sugar, the highest grades rarely, the lower grades, 20 per cent.; sirup, 50 per cent.; milk, when not inspected, 50 per cent.; flour, none; bread, about 2 per cent.; cream of tartar and baking-powders, 44 per cent.; butter, 40 per cent. (by the substitution of other fats); vinegar is rarely adulterated, but is seldom made of cider; oliveoil, 60 per cent.

The character of the adulterants employed

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