FOODS — NUTRITION. 897 



acid per pound having been found in ham and other cured meat and 20 to 50 grains 

 per pound in sausages, Hamburg steak, etc. The use of sodium sulphite as a pre- 

 servative was also noted, 0.2 to 0.5 per cent <>r more of sulphites being apparently 

 used with sausages and Hamburg steak. In the case of potted chicken and turkey 

 it is stated that, although these goods are common in the market, none of the cans 

 examined contained a quantity of chicken or turkey sufficient for determination. 

 Canned salmon was frequently found to contain borates in varying quantity. 



Some adulterations and frauds in the food markets (pp. 525-529). — In an address 

 before tin- International Pure Food Congress and Convention of Dairy ami Food 

 Departments at St. Louis the pure-food work of the station was briefly described. 



The amount q£sodium sulphiU recoverable from •preserved meats "ml evaporated fruits, 

 as " basis forth estimation of the amount originally present, < '. l>. Holley i pp.530-i534). — 

 Tests were undertaken to learn something of the quantity of sodium sulphite added 

 to meat products and whether the preservative can be recovered after the meat has 

 been kept for a time. When 0.2 percent sodium sulphite was added to pork sausage 

 sulphurous acid equivalent to 36.35 per cent of the preservative was recovered on dis- 

 tilling with phosphoric acid with a sample of sausage which had stood for 6 hours, 

 and 22.66 per cent with a sample which had stood for :; days. In other words, the 

 proportion of sulphites recovered, the author concludes, is approximately one-fourth 

 of the amount originally present. 



The sodium sulphite in a number of samples of meat products was determined and 

 the amount originally added calculated on the assumption that four times the 

 amount recovered would give the minimum quantity originally present. On an aver- 

 age this was found to be 0.5 percent. Varying amounts of sodium sulphite were 

 added to pork sausage and it was found that 21.75 per cent was recoverable on an 

 average. When 0.2 per cent of sodium sulphite was mixed with pork sausage and 

 the samples allowed to stand 24 and 36 hours, respectively, and then fried, 27.67 and 

 20. 70 per cent of t he preservative was recovered. In other words, the author believes 

 that neither standing for a time nor cooking diminishes the quantity of preservative 

 present, as has been sometimes claimed. "The amount of sulphites mixed with 

 meats to preserve them is much larger than is generally supposed." 



The amounts of acid remaining in dried fruit which had heen bleached with free 

 or combined sulphurous acid was determined in a number of samples and found 

 to he on an average o..") per cent, while in one instance as much as 1 per cent was 

 found. 



The commercial status of durum wheat, M. A. Carleton and J. S. Chamber- 

 lain i U. S. />'/>>. Agr., Bureau of Plant Industry Bui. 7". pp. 70, vis. 5, fig. 1). — 

 Information is given regarding the introduction of durum wheat into the United 

 States, its commercial value, origin of the name, and its importance for making 

 macaroni. 



The process of manufacture of macaroni is described, the possibilities of the indus- 

 try discussed, and a list of macaroni manufacturers in the United States is presented. 

 In connection with statements regarding the place of macaroni in the diet a number 

 of receipts fur preparing it in various ways are given. Twenty-rive analyses, made 

 by the Bureau of Chemistry, of this Department, of alimentary pastes are quoted. 

 From a study of the chemical composition of durum and other flours: the following 

 conclusions were drawn: 



"The total proteid content of durum wheat flour from wheat grown in Russia and 

 from that grown in this country in normal seasons is considerably higher than that 

 in any of the other principal classes of American wheats. 



"In durum wheat grown in the United States in wet and otherwise unfavorable 

 years the proteid content falls to an amount about equal to that of northwestern 

 hard spring w heats or Kansas hard winter wheats, hut is above that of the soft win- 

 ter wheats. 



