tion of desiccated fruits, it is evident that the prohibition of its use 

 would necessitate a radical change in methods of manufacture. This 

 fact, however, it might be stated, has nothing whatever to do with 

 the purposes of the present investigation. Assuming that in the 

 manufacturing processes certain added bodies are used which are 

 found on investigation to be injurious to health, the rational conclu- 

 sion of such an investigation would be not to excuse or overlook the 

 use of such bodies, but to institute investigations looking to their sup- 

 pression. If, therefore, the results of the present study indicate that 

 sulphurous acid, even in small quantities, is a deleterious substance 

 when added to foods, it would be reasonable to expect that manufac- 

 turers, as well as investigators, would immediately take steps looking 

 to the early suppression of the injurious substance. While it is not 

 likely that such an event could be accomplished within a year or two, 

 it is reasonable to suppose that it could be eventually brought about 

 without any disturbance to manufacture and without any diminution 

 in the output of the article. 



In matters of this kind it is advisable to proceed when possible 

 with conservative steps and to avoid any attempt at sudden and 

 revolutionary changes in methods of manufacture. In all such cases, 

 however, it will be found not only possible and desirable to make the 

 food product in question without the use of the deleterious substance, 

 but there is evidence to show that the products thus manufactured 

 will be more palatable, more wholesome, and more valuable than 

 those made according to the methods commonly used at present. 

 Practical experiments have shown, for instance, the possibility of pro- 

 ducing a high grade sirup from cane juice and other saccharine saps 

 without the use of the fumes of burning sulphur. Analytical data 

 show the presence on the market of considerable quantities of desic- 

 cated fruits of good appearance in which the quantity of sulphur is 

 so small as to be ascribed rather to the conversion of the natural sul- 

 phur content of the product than to the addition of the sulphur in 

 its manufacture. At the present time considerable quantities of wine 

 are made without the addition of sulphur of any description, and 

 these wines are of fine appearance, excellent flavor, and of noted 

 purity and wholesomeness. 



In so far as the mere tint of the food product is concerned, it is 

 not a difficult matter to familiarize the public with a tint of a dif- 

 ferent kind from that which would be produced by the use of sul- 

 phur. The only arguments of any force favoring the use of sul- 

 phurous acid in food products are those which relate either to the 

 preservation of the food product or to its color. As the preservation 

 of the product can be easily secured, and a slight change in color 



[Cir. 37] 



