TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI 479 



Table syrups did not escape their day of adulteration. Maple syrups 

 were grossly mixed with cane syrup or made of cane syrup entirely and 

 artificially flavored like maple. Glucose or corn syrup was also some- 

 times used in whole or in part. Dr. Wiley once made the statement that 

 there was more maple syrup made in the city of Chicago than in the State 

 of Vermont which no doubt is trye. However, a survey of the labels on 

 ;:his class of goods now on the grocer's shelves will show that they are 

 branded "cane and maple syrups" or "pure maple syrup" and the state- 

 ment can be taken as true as proven by samples analyzed by this depart- 

 ment, as well as by the Federal authorities. Maple sugar was likewise 

 adulterated but is now properly labelled. 



Cane sugar has rarely if ever been adulterated. However^ there is still 

 some complaint from housewives that beet sugar has been substituted for 

 cane sugar but since they are alike chemically there is no means of tell- 

 ing if this is the truth. 



Soda waters have never been subject to much adulteration, except that 

 impure dyes were sometimes used and they vrere not always produced 

 under sanitary conditions. Saccharine was and is still sometimes used 

 as a substitute for sugar but the law forbids this practice as saccharine 

 is considered injurious. The recent high price of sugar tempted many 

 manufacturers of this class of goods to substitute saccharine, which is 500 

 times sweeter than sugar, for sugar, and the department has prosecuted a 

 considerable percent of these manufacturers this summer for this viola- 

 tion of the law. 



Vinegars have been no exception to the manipulations of the manufac- 

 turer. 



As cider vinegar has always been the principal vinegar of commerce 

 and has commanded the best price, manufacturers have yielded to the 

 temptation of adulterating it. A common form of adulteration, still 

 practiced to some extent is to mix distilled vinegar, which is a dilute 

 solution of acetic acid, with enough cider vinegar to give it the odor and 

 color of pure cider vinegar, sometimes adding color to intensify the decep- 

 tion. Again distilled vinegar is colored and sold for cider vinegar. Malt 

 vinegar has also to some extent been mixed with distilled vinegar. Dis- 

 tilled vinegar which is made by passing dilute alcohol over vats filled with 

 wood shavings impregnated with mother of vinegar, where the alcohol is 

 converted to acetic acid. This is the cheapest vinegar made, hence is 

 used for adulterating. 



The sour principle of all vinegars is the same, i. e., acetic acid, and 

 while none of these adulterations are injurious they are fraudulent and 

 forbidden by law. In some states distilled vinegar can be colored and 

 sold as "colored distilled vinegar" but the laws of this state forbid the use 

 of color and it must be sold in its natural colorless state, because many 

 grocers will sell it, if colored, for cider vinegar, thus perpetrating a fraud 

 upon the consumer. 



Canned meats have never been seriously adulterated but it is interesting 

 to note that prior to the enactment of pure food laws, potted ham was 

 upon every grocer's shelves while a search now will reveal in its stead 

 cans labelled "Potted Meat. Ham Flavor," 



