988 FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



not so pronounced, are sufficiently high to cause suspicion of the use of 

 alkalis. 



A determination of the fat shows the amount of this important food 

 material in the preparation, and is of value in determining the extent 

 of adulteration with other substances. The amount of fat was not suf- 

 ficiently inconsistent with the amount of the other ingredients to 

 attract suspicion to any one of the samples. Time did not permit a 

 qualitative examination of the fat from each sample. 



Sugar and starch are used to a most deplorable extent, as the results 

 in the table show. The quality of the sugar used is generally good, 

 however, as is shown by the somewhat rare occurrence of reducing 

 sugars. 



A determination of theobromine is of very little value, since it has no 

 commercial importance to tempt its removal, as is the case w r ith cocoa 

 butter. Its determination can, therefore, only be of value for judging 

 the extent of adulteration with other substances, for which purpose a 

 nitrogen determination would serve just as well (in the absence of nitrog- 

 genous adulterants), and is much more easily made. 



A fiber determination is of value for the detection of the presence of 

 husks and other substances rich in cellulose, and for judging the extent 

 to which these substances have been added. The value of the deter- 

 mination is greatly reduced, however, by the variation in the result 

 that follows the degree of fineness of the powder. It is very difficult 

 indeed to produce a sample by laboratory means that will give results 

 that are comparable with those obtained with samples ground in choco- 

 late works. Our comparisons must be, therefore, between commercial 

 samples of known purity and those of questionable purity. 



In adding "phosphates as found in wheat," the manufacturers of sam- 

 ple No. 50 seem to have overlooked the fact that the husked cocoa 

 bean is fully as rich in phosphoric acid as is wheat. 



Beef tea was once considered to be a very concentrated and easily 

 digestible food, and was given to invalids in small quantities with full 

 confidence in its great, almost miraculous, nourishing power. It has 

 long since been degraded very nearly to the rank of a. mere stimulant 

 and is never intelligently administered except when accompanied by 

 an ample amount of nourishing food. As a concentrated and easily 

 digestible food for invalids cocoa preparations are already Beginning 

 to share the same fate; as material for the preparation of pleasant, ex- 

 hilerating, and slightly nutritive beverages for both weak and strong, the 

 career of cocoa preparations is only just begun. Moreover, their progress 

 in popular favor will keep paee with the manufacturers' appreciation of 

 this fact. 



For a study of the nutritive value of cocoa, the following data can be 

 taken as fairly representative of cocoas from which a part of the fat has 

 been removed, and to which no foreign substances have been added: 



