bo THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



supposed demand, but the fact that the sulfites might injure the flavor 

 and lower the value of the food from a dietetic standpoint, was entirely 

 lost sight of by the packers. 



That much of the food still on the market has been badly spoiled 

 by the art of the colorist, as well as at the bleachery, goes without 

 saying. It is necessary to mention only a few of the foods that have 

 been mistreated in this way. Maraschino cherries are sometimes first 

 bleached and then dyed with coal-tar colors, like a piece of dress goods, 

 any color to suit the prevailing style. Tomato catsup has to bear the 

 burden of sometimes containing much of the refuse, peelings and in- 

 ferior fruit of the cannery, preserved, it is true, by benzoate of soda, 

 but brought up to the brilliant color desired, by the liberal use of 

 aniline colors. We find it hard to resist the suggestion that in some of 

 these products color is added to conceal inferiority. The best tomato 

 catsup, however, is not made after the receipt mentioned above. 



Within the last two or three years artificial color has not been as 

 abundantly used in jams and jellies as formerly, thanks to the provision 

 in the laws of most states, that the constituents of the product must be 

 plainly stated on the label, or the goods would be condemned as mis- 

 branded. 



Now-a-days you can actually buy ground mustard of good quality 

 that has not been colored yellow with turmeric to cover the inferiority 

 of an article of low grade. Since lemons happen to be yellow, the 

 manufacturers of the extract have thought it allowable to make a weak 

 alcoholic solution of the oil of lemon and color it yellow with a coal-tar 

 dye so that it might appeal to the eye of the purchaser, who, of course, 

 does not investigate by removing the cork and tasting the material. 

 It was a serious fraud upon the consumer. Fortunately, however, at 

 the present time, the people are becoming educated so that there is a 

 demand for an almost colorless extract of lemon, of standard strength. 

 They were no doubt surprised to learn that it did not have to be 

 yellow to be good. 



Not long ago the author had occasion to examine a can of French 

 peas (petits pois). They were of a brilliant green color and evidently 

 colored by the use of sulfate of copper. A very tasty brass label was 

 soldered on to one side of the can. When this was removed, however, 

 there appeared in English the statement, " colored with sulfate of 

 copper." Thus the deception practised had been concealed from the 

 consumer. 



Bleaching, as carried on by the use of moisture and sunlight, upon 

 the household linen, was apparently a natural process, at least it did 

 not injure the goods. By growing plants away from the sunlight, and 

 thus retarding the growth of the chlorophyl cells, it is possible to bleach 

 the stems and other parts. The natural color of fruit is developed by 



