BULLETIN 27, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SALT 62% 



MEAT EXTRACT 2d % 

 PLANT EXTRACT *.75y* 



Fig. 1. — Best grade bouillon cube (25 cents a dozen i. 



in the poorer cubes is small and the amount of salt and plant extract 

 large. 



Table I makes it very clear that none of these cubes is a concen- 

 trated beef juice or essence. The dietary value, as is apparent from 



the table and from 



-EAT* WATER 5.25% fche fig UreSj 1? 2 , and 9 



(p. 6), lies largely in 

 the fact that they act 

 as a stimulant. As 

 they also contain a 

 small amount of pro- 

 tein (muscle-building 

 substances) in the 

 meat extract, they 

 may be said to possess slight nutritive value. Most of these cubes 

 have no advertised claim to be concentrated beef broth or essence. 

 Many people, however, believe them to be highly concentrated meat 

 and therefore to 



possess a high nutri- :a*-/wr* water 8.5o°/<> 



tive value, especially 

 for invalids, but this 

 is not true. 



As the meat ex- 

 tract is the element 

 which provides any 

 nutritive value these 

 rubes possess, it is 

 apparent that the cubes numbered 1 to 5 have slightly greater nutri- 

 tive value than the cubes numbered 6 to 10, the latter being made 

 largely from plant extract, salt, and flavoring substances. 



Table I. — The composition of commercial, bouillon cubes. 



-SALT 72% 



MEAT EXTRACT e./e^o 

 PLANT EXTRACT //.^33^c 



Fig. 2. — Poorest grade bouillon cube (15 cents a dozen). 



Tube 

 Xo.i 



Source of manufacture. 



Salt. 



Water 

 and fat. 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



62 



5.25 



65 



9 



65 



8 



67.5 



5 



59.2 



7 



•19. 25 



5.75 



53 



4.1 



72 



5. 5 



72. 5 



8.5 



72 



8.5 



Approxi- 

 mate 

 amount 

 of meat 

 extract 

 present. 



Approxi- 

 mate 

 amount 

 of plant 

 extract 

 present. 



United States. 



Germany 



United States. 



do 



do 



...do 



do 



Germany 



United States . 

 do 



Per cent. 

 28 

 23 

 18 



17.8 

 17.8 

 15.33 

 14.6 

 14 



8.33 

 8.17 



Per cent. 



4.75 



3 



9 



9.7 

 16 



29. 66 

 28. 3 



8.5 

 10. 92 

 11.33 



1 Cubes arranged in table in order of content of meat extract. 



