158 Kansas Academy of Science. 



pared and analyzed, with results similar to those obtained with 

 alcohol alone or water alone. 



The above remarks and conclusions are based upon analysis 

 representing determinations of alcohol, total solids, total ash, 

 soluble and insoluble ash, total alkalinity of ash, and the alka- 

 linity of the soluble ash. These serve as aids in establishing an 

 extract as a fruit product only, and give no information regard- 

 ing the identity of the extract or its value as a flavor. As a 

 means of differentiating between extracts of various fruits, it 

 was found in the case of the laboratory-made extracts that 

 certain reagents when added directly to the extracts gave 

 characteristically colored precipitates. For example, a mixture 

 of alum and sodium carbonate gave for pineapple a white pre- 

 cipitate, for strawberry a cream-colored precipitate, for rasp- 

 berry a brown, for cherry a bluish gray, and for blackberry a 

 deep blue. Similar results were obtained with normal lead 

 acetate and basic lead acetate, the colors differing from those 

 in the case of alum, but being quite as characteristic. 



To determine the value of the extracts as flavoring material, 

 rather extensive tests were made by the department of home 

 economics at the University. These tests showed conclusively 

 that these extracts are practically worthless as flavoring agents 

 for pastry products. These results were anticipated from the 

 fact that, with possibly one exception, namely, the extract of 

 pineapple, it is impossible to identify these products by taste 

 or odor. 



In short, fruit extracts are flavors in name only. They con- 

 tain no "sapid and odorous principles derived from an aromatic 

 plant or parts of the plant." In this respect they fail to comply 

 with the legal standards. However, they do contain the plant's 

 coloring matter, and this in abundance, and in this respect they 

 conform to the standard and to the name of the plants used in 

 their preparation. 



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