No, 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 69 



turer selected and used coloring matter to suit his own whim. To-day, if the 

 coloring material is found to be deleterious, prosecutions are possible. The 

 cheese in its natural color is universally acknowledged to be most palatable 

 and most desirable. 



COAL.-TAR DYES IN FOOD AND DRINK. 



Prof. C. B. Cochran, Chemist of the Dairy and Food Bureau, West Chester, 

 has completed a series of important experiments upon colors in food products, 

 and the results present some remarkable disclosures. 



In a lecture delivered before the members of the Pennsylvania State Board 

 of Agriculture, he exhibited a large assortment of samples of wool, which had 

 been colored by the coal-tar colors, abstracted from various food products. 

 SufBcient carmine coloring matter to color eight yards of woolen cloth was 

 obtained from a small jar of artificial fruit jelly, showing the large quantity 

 that had been used by the manufacturer. Scores of the samples of wool were 

 highly colored by poisonous dyes that were removed from butter, jellies, 

 candies, pie-fillers, wines, etc., many of the'dyes being of great brilliancy. A 

 sample of special interest was a jar of cranberries, because of its bright, red 

 tint. Even huckleberry pie-fillers were deeply colored. 



The Professor explained that the coloring matter was not employed solely to 

 improve the appearance of the articles, but in many instances to aid in the 

 deception of the consumer. In the case of the huckleberry compound, it was 

 found to contain only a small amount of the genuine fruit, the rest being 

 composed of a filler of unknown origin. 



The wines and brandies so richly colored were not the product of any grape 

 or fruit, but were counterfeit productions of harmful quality with the color 

 added to simulate the genuine product. The use of dangerous coal-tar colors 

 in the manufacture of butter was condemned in the strongest terms as being 

 not only harmful but absolutely without justification. Vegetable colors, if any, 

 should only be tolerated in butter. 



At the last session of the Minnesota Legislature the lawmakers enacted an 

 act prohibiting the sale of all food products, including butter, containing so- 

 called "coal-tar colors." This law is to be enforced during the coming year 

 in the strictest sense. The law, however, is somewhat peculiar because of the 

 fact that it does not apply to any butter colored with the objectionable coal-tar 

 dyes that may be manufactured for consumption outside of Minnesota. It posi- 

 tively insists that only vegetable colors can be used in coloring butter made for 

 home consumption. 



HARMFUL AND POWERFUL FOOD PRESERVATIVES. 



While it is common knowledge that chemical preservatives added to articles 

 of food and drink are detrimental to digestion, in even very small quantities, 

 comparatively few realize their powerful and far-reaching effects upon the 

 human sj^stem. 



Salicylic acid is frequently found in wines, beer and other articles of drink, as 

 well as in food products, and no fair minded scientific authority will be un- 

 willing to acknowledge that its use for such purposes should not be tolerated. 

 It is a great deal more powerful than benzoic acid in arresting the action 

 of enzymes. It is said that one part of salicylic acid in 9.000 will stop the action 

 of pancreatic enzyme, while it takes one part of benzoic acid in 2.600 to 

 accomplish the same results. The use of formalin as a milk preservative is also 

 acknowledged harmful and dangerous. It is said that one part in 7.000 will 

 prevent fermentative action or souring, but notwithstanding this fact, dairy- 

 men and others will persist in its excessive use, because of its cheapness. 



With the constant warfare that is being made against the illegal use of coal- 

 tar dyes and chemical preservatives, by both the National and State authori- 

 ties, it is to be hoped that their use will soon be discontinued in the manu- 

 facture of all articles of food and drink. Keen and health-giving appetites 

 should be supplied with pure food — the kind that characterized the primitive life 

 of pioneer days. The old, New England ideal of "plain living and high think- 

 ing," was, perhaps largely enforced by stern necessity; but it was an important 

 factor for good that will live for centuries to come, although the manner of 

 living was changed. 



FORMALDEHYDE; ITS USES AND ABUSES. 



Among the questions that are frequently developed in pure food court trials 

 is that concerning the nature of formaldehyde, a preservative that was very 

 commonly used by milk dealers several years ago. It was first prepared in 

 1868 by passing a mixture of air and methyl-alcohol vapor over heated platinum, 

 and is still practically obtained only from the oxidation of methyl-alcohol. Its 

 germicidal qualities were only discovered about twenty years later. It has a 

 very powerful action on various forms of organic matter, and in practical medi- 

 cine, formaldehyde to-day is only used as a disinfectant. Being placed upon 



