SPICES AND CONDIMENTS. 135 



In 1881 and the following years results were tabulated as follows: 



*Many labeled mixtures. 



It is seen that several years after the enactment of the law adultera- 

 tion of spices is as enormous as at first. This, however, seems to arise 

 largely from lack of prosecution and non enforcement of the law. Of 

 the occurrence of adulterants in spices, the chief analyst says, in his 

 report for 1885 : 



During the year considerable attention, was paid to spices and condiments. View- 

 ing the fact that in the past a very large .amount of adulteration had been reported 

 as prevailing in these substances, and with a view to ascertaining whether the adulter- 

 ation was practiced by the manufacturers or by the dealers, a systematic visitation 

 was made of all the spice grinders in the Dominion (or of all that could be recognized 

 as such), and their factories and stores were inspected under sections 7 and 8 with the 

 results as shown in the appendix. 



The examination of nineteen samples of ground cinnamon resulted in finding seven 

 genuine; four to consist of a substitution of cassia; one was adulterated with cassia, 

 and six with other inert matter ; one consisted of cassia adulterated with foreign 

 vegetable matter. 



Of ground cloves, twenty-two samples were examined. Twelve proved to be pure 

 and ten adulterated, the adulterant chiefly used being clove stems, pea-meal, roasted 

 and ground cocoanut shells. 



Of sixty-six samples of ground ginger, twenty-nine were reported as being adulter- 

 ated, almost exclusively with wheat flour, non-injurious to health, doubtless ; but 

 unless the purchaser be duly warned of the nature of the compound his pocket would 

 be seriously prejudiced, if not injured, as this sophistication was practiced to the 

 extent of from 10 to 15 to from 25 to 40 per cent., the pungency being imparted by the 

 judicious admixture of cayenne pepper. 



Fifty samples of mustard were examined, and many of these were properly sold as 

 "compound" or mixtures, but one of the worst samples was sold with a label guar- 

 anteeing it to be " ground from finest English seed, and free from adulteration." Of 

 the fifty samples, nine were reported genuine, two of excellent quality, and thirty- 

 nine were all, more or less, admixtures of mustard seed or mustard cake (from which 

 the natural fixed oil had been expressed) with wheat flour and turmeric, and, in some 

 cases, with corn-starch or bean meal, in varying proportions, up to as high as 50 or 

 even GO per cent. It was formerly contended that the addition of wheat flour or 

 other inert matter was a necessity, to give the ground mustard keeping qualities and 

 make the condiment palatable by softening its natural acidity. But the most repu- 

 table manufacturers have demonstrated the fallacy of this contention by the produo* 



