22 



COAL-TAR COLORS USED IN FOOD PRODUCTS. 



Nine manufacturers sent 261 specimens, an average of 29 each 

 distributed as follows: 70; 38; 20; 20; 15; 43; 25; 18, and 12. Twc 

 importers sent 5 specimens each, and one 13, a total of 23 specimens, 

 and an average of 8. These figures reflect a diversity of opinion ad 

 to what is needful for food coloring, since each one of these 12 makers 

 or importers believed that for ah 1 practical food-coloring purposes 

 his selection was complete and sufficient. 



Classifying the 284 specimens as red, yellow, brown, orange, blue, 

 green, violet, and black, the following table is obtained showing the 

 different requirements of each of the 12 makers or importers tc 

 produce the necessary shades of the eight colors mentioned: 



Total specimens submitted, grouped by makers and colors, showing number of shades 



required by each. 



From this table it appears that not one of the 12 sources desired all 

 of the 8 shades into which the 284 specimens are classifiable to make 

 up a complete set of food colors; 7 out of the 12 sources wanted 7 of 

 the 8 shades ; 2 sources wanted 6 out of the 8 shades ; 1 source wanted 

 5 of the 8 shades, and 2 sources were content with 3 out of the 8 

 shades. 



It will be noticed that the permitted list given in Food Inspection 

 Decision No. 76 provides for 7 dyes covering 5 out of the 8 shades of 

 the above classification. The 3 missing shades are brown, violet, 

 and black; the shades provided are red, yellow, orange, and blue. 



It will also be noticed that on the whole 6 out of the 8 shades were 

 not wanted by one or more of the 12 sources. The italicized shades 

 are the ones not provided for by the permitted list of Food Inspection 

 Decision No. 76. 



Brown was not wanted by 5, nor orange by 1, blue by 3, green by 2, 

 violet by 3, nor Hack by 10. 



