Official Inspections 83. 41 



uid amounted to about 155^ ounces. The cobs weighed about 9 

 ounces, so that there were about 14 ounces of corn in each can. 

 The dry matter in the corn was, however, much higher than in 

 corn canned after being cut from the cob and was about 30 per 

 cent against 20 to 25 per cent dry matter in the samples of ordi- 

 nary canned corn here reported. 



Water in Cannned Corn 



Corn Hke all other green vegetable foods carries in its nat- 

 ural state quite high percentages of water. Since water in a food 

 material serves, so far as is known, in nutrition no better purpose 

 than any other water, its presence always means a lowered nutri- 

 tive value product. Sweet corn in the early dough stage, which 

 is the desirable condition for table use, will carry a little more 

 than 70 per cent of water. Hence such corn will have a little less 

 than 30 per cent of dry matter which is the nutritive part of corn. 

 Partly to improve the appearance of the finished goods and part- 

 ly to add bulk and weight water is added to canned com in the 

 process of canning. To add water to make the goods more liq- 

 uid and to add starch to make the goods have greater consistency 

 would seem to be in the nature of adulteration. It is probable 

 that canned corn need never carry less than 25 per cent of dry 

 matter. With quite immature corn — and too immature corn 

 should not be packed — this percentage of dry matter can be main- 

 tained without the addition of starch. From the appearance of 

 the opened goods in the laboratory there is no indication that 

 starch was added with good judgment or in most cases was 

 needed at all. 



Since starch, sugar and water are all natural constituents 

 of corn their addition cannot be surely detected in the laboratory. 

 Investigations are being made and probably before many years 

 standards will be established for canned corn. But when they are 

 they will probably be based upon what is found to be common 

 practice by packers and like other standards will be so low that 

 considerable manipulation — perhaps as great as is now prac- 

 ticed — will come withen the limits. In the meantime possibly 

 some packer will come forward with a more solid product than 

 the general run of factories are now putting out and bid for pat- 

 ronage on the high food value of his output. It may be that when 



