140 FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



seed, although derived from plants of the same genus, are somewhat 

 different in their chemical composition. The black seed is much the 

 most pungent, and develops, on mixing with water, a volatile oil, which 

 gives this condiment its penetrating character. There is also present 

 in the seed a complicated organic substance of a bitter nature, to which 

 is due some of the peculiar flavor, and while the white seed forms no 

 volatile oil with water, it contains more of the bitter substance. It is, 

 therefore, very common to mix the two in grinding. The sources of the 

 seed are various. In our markets at present there are quoted Califor- 

 nia black and white, Dutch, Trieste black, and English the last being 

 the most valuable. 



In the manufacture of the seed into flour for the market, two customs 

 have arisen which change the nature of the original substance, and there- 

 fore would commonly come under the head of adulteration. One is ex- 

 tremely old, the addition of wheat flour for the purpose of making the 

 condiment keep better. This necessitates the restoration of the yellow 

 color by turmeric, or other dye-stuff. These diluents are harmless as a 

 rule, but there seerns to be no reasons for their use, and it is gradually 

 becoming commoner to find mustard free from them in English brands. 



The other custom is the abstraction of the fixed oil by pressure before 

 grinding the seed. The percentage of this oil is over 30. It adds nothing 

 to the flavor of the mustard, probably injures its keeping qualities, makes 

 the seed more difficult to mill, and its removal is therefore a benefit. It 

 is a nearly universal custom at the present day in this country, and is 

 not considered as fraudulent by the Canadian analysts. 



Falsifications of mustard other than those mentioned are not common, 

 although gypsum has been found in low-grade mustard and several 

 other adulterants, among them ginger of low grade. The hulls bolted 

 from the flour in the process of manufacture are preserved and form the 

 basis of the adulteration of many other spices. 



Pepper is more in demand than any other spice, and in consequence 

 is more adulterated. Its appearance in the ground form, especially of 

 the black, is such as to make it possible to use all sorts of refuse for this 

 purpose, and almost everything that has been used as an adulterant 

 has been found in pepper. White pepper, which is simply the black 

 deprived of its outer black coats, is, of course, less easily falsified; but in 

 France is diluted to an immense extent with ground olive stones, which 

 bear a striking resemblance. Among the samples from Washington 

 grocers, pepper sweepings that is, husks and dirt rice or corn, and 

 mustard-hulls were the commonest admixtures. Sand is said to be 

 very commonly added abroad, but has not been met with here. In Can- 

 ada and New York ground cocoanut-shells are a cheap source of adul- 

 teration, but they have not extended so far south. 



