14 MEAT EXTRACTS. 



Assuming that beef extract contains 21.7 per cent of water, there 

 is obtained from 100 pounds of "soup liquor" 1.94 pounds of com- 

 mercial meat extract." These figures are high, as they are calcu 

 lated from the total solids present in soup liquor. The manufac- 

 turers claim that 100 pounds of "soup liquor" will yield 1 pound of 

 meat extract. 



In speaking of the preparation of meat extracts, Charles R. Valen- 

 tine b states that when raw meat is finely chopped and macerated in 

 the same weight of cold distilled water and squeezed out, the water 

 dissolves from 16 to 24 per cent of the weight of the dry flesh. If the 

 water infusion is heated, the albumin of the flesh separates as a 

 flocculent precipitate when the temperature of 133° F. is reached, and 

 the red coloring matter of the blood, likewise albuminous, coagulates 

 at 158° F. The infusion, or extract of flesh, from which the coagu- 

 lated albumin has been strained, when evaporated at a gentle heat 

 becomes darker in color. When it is dried there is obtained a brown, 

 rather soft mass amounting to 12 or 13 per cent of the original flesh. 



Valentine says it is not claimed that extract of meat is a food, but 

 that it contains the extractive matter and salts of a large quantity of 

 beef and possesses certain medicinal and dietetic properties. From 

 about 32 pounds of lean beef, free from fat and bone, equal to 8 

 pounds of dry meat and 24 pounds of water, 1 pound of true extract 

 of beef can be made. A good extract should always have an acid 

 reaction, its color should be a characteristic yellowish brown, and it 

 should have an agreeable meat-like odor and taste. It should be 

 entirely soluble in cold water, and free from albumin, fat, and gelatin. 



Solid Meat Extracts. 



The percentage of nitrogen with its distribution in the various 

 nitrogenous bodies is given in Tables II and III and throws much 

 light on the quality of the extract. The meat products examined 

 are divided into four classes, i. e., solid and fluid meat extracts, 

 meat juices, based on the definitions of the standards committee, and 

 miscellaneous preparations. Of the six solid meat extracts reported 

 in Table II, several fall below the definition in one or two points. 

 They, nevertheless, closely adhere to them in most respects, the 

 percentage of nitrogen present in the form of total meat bases and 

 kreatinin nitrogen being sufficiently high. 



The figures in Table III are obtained by calculation from those in 

 Table II, and represent the percentages of nitrogenous bodies present 

 expressed both as per cent of total nitrogen and as per cent of sample. 

 In order to obtain the nitrogenous bodies from the corresponding 

 nitrogen figures the following factors were employed: For insoluble 



a U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Chemistry, Bui. 13, Part 10, p. 1390. 

 b J. Soc. Arts, 1897, 46 : 430. 



