l8 MAINE AGRICUIvTURAL EXPE:RIME;nT STATION. I912. 



AlvCOHOIv. 



A much smaller percentage of the goods examined the pres- 

 ent year were found to contain alcohol than the goods analyzed 

 last year. In Official Inspections 2y it was stated that "the 

 flavor of some of these bottled soft beverages is dependent to a 

 more or less extent upon the amount of alcohol present, and a 

 constant use of some of these containing approximately one 

 per cent, of alcohol would quite readily be a means for develop- 

 ing a taste for alcoholic beverages." It is to be regretted that 

 any of the bottled sodas carry alcohol to the slightest extent. 



Cream Soda, Sarsaparilla Soda, Birch, etc. 



No new regulations in regard to the labeling of goods known 

 as cream soda, sarsaparilla soda, birch, root beer, ginger ale, 

 etc., have been made in this State and for the present they may 

 be lawfully manufactured and sold as in the past. It is under- 

 stood that investigations under the National Law have been 

 going on for some time concerning the composition of these 

 goods and the right to the use of some of the above names upon 

 the ordinary bottled soda waters. If new regulations are in the 

 future promulgated under the National law' it is probable that 

 such regulations would be adopted in the enforcement of the 

 Maine law as it has always been the policy of the executive of 

 the State law to have Maine regulations and rulings conform, 

 as far as possible, with those under the National law so that 

 the dealers might have but one set of regulations by which to 

 govern their manufacturing. 



WATER USED IN BOTTLED SODAS. 



In the examination of the bottled sodas thus far we have 

 made no bacteriaiological examination as there were so many 

 more obvious things that needed first attention. It is realized, 

 however, that this is one of the most important phases of the 

 work, and it is now planned to take up this important question 

 next summer. It is hoped to find the goods as pure in this 

 respect as it is possible to make them, but it is feared that some 

 may be found of inferior quality because of the contamination 

 of the water supply. It is well known that some of the manu- 

 facturers of bottled sodas in the State are using only the purest 



