ANALYSIS OF PERMITTED COLORS, 1907. 191 



Of these seven colors, 189 samples, from every possible source, and representing all 

 the leading manufacturers, are here reported on, and the results of their examina- 

 tion reasonably establish the necessity of food color certification. Of these 189 sam- 

 ples, the worst were offered for food coloring purposes and seemed to be so offered 

 because unfit for any other purpose. 



Naphthol Yellow S. Sixty-four samples examined, ranging in shade from clear 

 bright yellow to a dirty brownish or green color. All contained Martius Yellow, some 

 more than 1 per cent thereof; some contained as high as 2 per cent and even 3 per cent 

 unconverted initial material or decomposition products. Forty-one contained exces- 

 sive arsenic and 29 excessive heavy metals. 



Orange I. Twenty-eight samples examined ; all contained decomposition products 

 varying from a slight amount to over 50 per cent; free <r-naphthol was found in most 

 samples; in 12 it was as high as 2 per cent; insoluble matters were as high as 1 per cent; 

 lead to the extent of 0.5 per cent was found in one sample; shading by ?dded colors 

 and excessive amounts of arsenic; lead and iron were frequent. 



Amaranth. Thirty-eight samples examined; none were pure, and all contained 

 arsenic in excessive amounts, and in one case as high as 0.1 per cent; all contained 

 added color, principally an acid-violet. Iron as high as 0.1 per cent; insoluble matter 

 as high as 1^ per cent; was most heavily loaded with salt of all seven colors. 



Ponceau SR. Thirty-six samples examined; the purest of all colors tested; not 

 toned; heavily loaded with salt; much insoluble matter was present; decomposition 

 products were absent; iron, 0.01 per cent; 12 contained excessive amounts of arsenic 

 and 14 contained excessive amounts of heavy metals. 



Erythrosin. Twelve samples examined; 10 were not erythrosin at all; of the other 

 two, one was low in iodin and one contained arsenic. 



Light Green S F Yellowish. Thirteen samples examined; only one free from 

 arsenic; nine contained lead or copper; one contained manganese; none were loaded, 



Indigo Disulphonic Add. Eight samples examined; none were pure; the iron con- 

 tent was as high as 1.5 per cent; all were loaded with salt or Glauber's salt. One con- 

 tained excessive amount of arsenic and two excessive amounts of heavy metals. 



The difficulties consist in keeping the undesirable materials out of the dyes or in 

 separating them from the crude dyes, or both. 



In this connection the following statement made by Dr. E. Ludwig, 

 of Vienna, at the International Congress of Medicine held in Buda- 

 pest, August, 1909, may be of interest: 



The author, at an order of a court, at the beginning of the seventies in the last cen- 

 tury, examined approximately 200 samples of food products confiscated as suspicious 

 and taken from numerous sales places of a then suburb of Vienna; these samples 

 included solid confectionery, fruit sirups, spirits, etc. He found that more than 

 90 per cent of these things were colored with magenta and contained arsenic. In some 

 of the sales places the preparation used for coloring, the so-called " couleur, " was 

 found, which proved to be a solution of magenta and in which there were contained 8 

 per cent of arsenic in the form of arsenous acid and of arsenic acid. According to the 

 statements of a qualified dyestuff maker, this "couleur" was a mother liquor from 

 magenta manufacture, which was very difficultly saleable and which, however, a 

 conscienceless agent had talked onto ignorant producers of and dealers in foods. 



Schacherl (p. 1046) says: "It should be required of all permitted 

 coloring matters that they shall not contain substances which are 

 harmful to health, or even suspicious, either in chemical union or as 

 contaminations." The folio whig pages (Section XV) show how 

 closely this requirement has been met as a result of quality control 

 on the part of the Department of Agriculture. 



