TOMATO KETCHUP UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. 9 



Some manufacturers have asked what would be the influence of 

 using tomatoes which are partially decayed, provided the decayed 

 portions were cut out. It has been shown by experiments made 

 under factory conditions that if the decayed portions are carefully 

 cut out and discarded the remaining peeled portions of tomatoes 

 may be almost as free from objectionable material as a product made 

 from wholly sound tomatoes. An experiment illustrating this fact 

 was made in one factory with the results given in the table. The 

 fruit was carefully sorted into three grades before washing. Grade 

 No. 1 contained mostly sound tomatoes, but due to the overripe con- 

 dition of the fruit more decayed spots went in than would usually be 

 the case. Grade No. 2 represents those tomatoes which were par- 

 tially decayed, and No. 3 those which were so badly decayed as to 

 be wholly worthless and which were entirely discarded. The chili 

 sauce from these gave the following results: 



Chili sauce from sound and from partially decayed tomatoes, using only the 



sound portions. 



i Less than 2 per cent. 2 Less than 2.5 per cent. 



While the number of bacteria in the second-grade product appears 

 to be much higher than in the first-grade, this difference is almost 

 negligible when considered in connection with the allowable limit of 

 25,000,000. Pulp made from trimmings of grade No. 1, which had 

 been allowed to stand on an average about one and one-half hours, 

 gave: 



Yeasts and spores per one-sixtieth en. mm r 13 



Bacteria per cc 9,000,000 



Molds in 17 per cent of fields. 



From the first grade there were obtained four barrels of peeled 

 tomatoes and two barrels of trimmings; from the second grade one 

 barrel of peeled tomatoes and two barrels of trimmings. From this 

 it is seen that the condition of the fruit was such as to make the loss 

 due to decay very heavy. 



At some factories they sort by pouring the fruit from the crates 

 upon tables placed conveniently to the washing apparatus, and the fruit 

 is looked over and decayed pieces removed before it is dumped into 

 the washer. In other places the fruit from the washer is dropped 



