CEREAL BREAKFAST FOODS. 95 



A study of the table on page 92 is recommended in this connec- 

 tion. It will be seen there also that in the form of Nichols' 

 Snow White Samp at 10 cents per package, 10 cents will buy 

 more than double the nutrients to be found at the same price in 

 any other of these corn products. 



OAT MEALS. 



The analyses of 14 different brands of oat preparations are 

 here reported. It is worthy of note that they average consider- 

 ably higher in protein (16.00 per cent) than did the 14 similar 

 preparations examined in 1899 (15.00 per cent). It is well 

 known that the quality of the cereals vary somewhat from year 

 to year according to the character of the growing season, and 

 this improvement in composition is probably due to such natural 

 causes rather than to more careful selection on the part of manu- 

 facturers or improved methods of preparation. The Banner, 

 the Quaker and the Ralston Health Oats carry about 18 per cent 

 of protein and the Saxon Rolled Oats over 17 per cent. The 

 Rob Roy Cut Oats contain 16.7 per cent of protein, against 14.6 

 per cent for the Rob Roy Rolled Oats. Pillsbury's Flaked Oat 

 Food was the lowest in protein (13.5 per cent) of the samples 

 examined and was also the highest in woody fiber. The oat 

 foods were all of good quality and bear evidence of careful 

 preparation. The differences between them are perhaps no 

 greater than might be expected. It is probable that the goods 

 of different companies vary no more in composition than dif- 

 ferent samples from the same company might. For example, 

 Hornby's Oat Meal, which in 1899 carried 13.4 per cent of 

 protein, in 1902 carries 16.3 per cent. 



For the most part the packages containing the oat prepara- 

 tions are free from misleading statements. The manufacturers 

 of the Banner Oats and Saxon Oats are evidently attempting to 

 push their sale by the "elegant piece of decorated china" enclosed 

 in each package. It happens that the Banner Oats carry more 

 protein than any other brand examined, while the Saxon Oats 

 are far above the average in this respect ; but this is probably 

 accidental, as there is no reason to suppose that the American 

 Cereal Company is making a more careful selection of oats in 

 these goods than in the Quaker or Buckeye brands. 

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