Chemical and Physical Papers. 53 



ANALYSIS OF FOOD ACCESSORIES UNDER THE 

 FOOD-AND-DRUGS LAW. 



By L. E. Sayrb, University of Kansas, Lawrence. 



AMONG the most important of the food accessories that we have 

 to deal witli in the drug laboratory are the aromatics, or 

 spices, which furnish not an unimportant part of our daily food. 

 The definitions and analytical data fixed for the various spices were 

 referred to in a former paper given to this Academy. Circular No. 

 19 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture contains the standard 

 for these important substances: but it is clear from our observa- 

 tions that certain revisions will be necessary from time to time. 

 We have noticed in our own laboratory work, for example, that 

 there is a great variation existing between the minimum and the 

 maximum quantities of important constituents of these spices, and 

 the spices under consideration were in every>case genuine. This 

 experience has been duplicated by others who are working in the 

 same line. 



Federal standards, are very fair and liberal, and it would seem 

 that these standards should be observed. Yet there are occasionally 

 those who will transgress the limits fixed in the federal standards, 

 and yet are genuine. We may cite, for example, the percentage 

 content of quercitannic acid and the ash content. These not in- 

 frequently fall below the minimum requirements of the federal 

 standard, but it is fair to assume that the analyst, when he finds by 

 microscopical analysis that the sample is a pure spice, will not of 

 course refuse to pass it if it should analyze below the minimum 

 requirements in these particulars. 



The essential constituent, of course, of a spice is the volatile oil. 

 In the majority of cases this is determined by the volatile extract 

 and the nonrolatile extract. It is rather surprising how variable 

 this constituent is, as, for example, will be seen from a report of 

 allspice, or pimento. We shall quote from the analyses of a num- 

 ber of samples which are published by R. O. Brooks, formerly 

 state chemist of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The approximate 

 analysis, showing the variations in composition as reported in 

 twenty-five analyses of pure allspice, are as follows: 



Minimum. Maximum. 



Moisture 5 51 % 10. 14 f, 



Ash (mineral matter) 4 01 7 51 



Ash insoluble in acid GO 9.5 



Volatile ether extract (oil) 1 29 5 21 



