18 



COAL-TAB COLORS USED IN FOOD PRODUCTS. 



SOURCE. 



The distribution of the 74 different chemical individuals of Class Ii 

 among the 12 different sources from which they were obtained is as 

 follows : 



Distribution of the 74 different samples of Class I among the 12 sources supplying same. 



It follows from this table that there is very little unanimity among 

 the different concerns furnishing coal-tar colors for use in food prod- 

 ucts as to which of their products are desirable, necessary, or suitable 

 for such use. 



Inspection of this table shows that only three colors out of 74, 

 or 4 per cent, were wanted by more than half of all the sources ; that 

 only 6, or 8.1 per cent, were wanted by half of the sources; and that 

 not one of the colors was wanted by all the sources. This last state- 

 ment is true of manufacturers as well as importers, each group taken 

 by itself. 



PATENTS. 



This lack of unanimity is not due to the patent situation, because 

 not more than one of these 74 products is patented, and it is more 

 than likely that the United States patent on this product has long 

 since expired. 



Moreover, only 6 of the 12 sources offered colors at one time 

 patented by themselves or others. The total number of such ex- 

 patented products is 45, and of these only 22 were offered by those 

 who had patented them; the remaining 23 were offered by sources 

 other than the ex-patentees, and were not offered by such 

 ex-patentees. 



Patented colors. 



