82 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT. 



Dr. Paul Zipperer classifies the processes used for the pre- 

 paration of Cocoa, deprived of a portion of its butter, as follows : — 



1. By steam pressure. 



2. By fixed alkalies. The Dutch method. 



3. By volatile alkalies, viz., carbonate of ammonia and caustic 

 ammonia. The German method. Under this process, the Cocoa 

 being roasted and pulverised, and the oil extracted by pressure, it is 

 treated with a solution of carbonate of ammonia, and, finally, dried 

 up to the complete volatilisation of the ammonia. 



It is contended as an excuse for the adulteration of Cocoa 

 with alkali that Cocoa contains a small percentage of alkali in its 

 natural state, and that, therefore, it may still be called "perfectly 

 pure " after more alkali is added. Allowing that some alkalies, 

 carefully treated and added in small quantities, may not 

 materially injure Cocoa as food, it is still a dangerous experi- 

 ment. The same reasoning would apply to coffee prepared 

 with finings. Raw coffee actually loses a large proportion of its 

 saccharine element by roasting. Mr. Allen, in his work on 

 Organic Analysis, gives the amount of saccharine in raw East 

 India coffee at 8 '90, while after roasting it only contains 0*41, so 

 that a much stronger plea could be maintained for the manu- 

 facturer to add saccharine to his coffee than for the Cocoa 

 manufacturer to add alkali to his Cocoa and call it " perfectly 

 pure." The strong reason for objecting to all such additions, 

 without clearly stating the fact on each packet, is that the public 

 should be protected, and when they ask for pure Coffee or pure 

 Cocoa that they should know that they get what they ask for. 



