CHEMICAL COMPOSITION 201 
seasons of the year, no hard and fast rule can be given. The 
following figures merely show the average composition of sweet- 
ened condensed milk as obtained from the results of analyses of 
a large number of different brands. 
Average Composition of Sweetened Condensed Milk. 
\Water 26.5 per cent. 
{ fat 9.0 per cent. 
Wille Batis proteids 8.5 per cent. 32.6 per cent, 
‘) milk sugar 13.3 per cent. 
L ash 1.8 per cent. 
Cane sugar 40.9 per cent. 
‘Total 100.0 per cent. 
Water.—The water content is largely governed by the de- 
gree of condensation and the per cent. of cane sugar. American 
brands average from 24 per cent. to 28 per cent. water. In ex- 
ceptional cases milk has been found to contain as low as 21 per 
cent. and as high as 34 per cent. water, 
Milk Solids.—The per cent. of milk solids is largely gov- 
erned by the per cent. of milk solids in fresh milk and the degree 
of condensation. In the majority of brands the solids fluctuate 
between 28 and 34 per cent.; in extreme cases analyses have 
shown less than 28 per cent. and as high as 40 per cent. milk 
solids. The relative proportion in which the various solid con- 
stituents are present is the same as that in the fresh milk from 
which the condensed milk is made, provided that the fresh milk 
was not skimmed previous to condensing. 
The fact that the U. S. standard requires not less than 28 
per cent. milk solids and the introduction of perfected methods of 
standardizing have an unmistakable tendency toward keeping 
the percentage of milk solids down to 28 per cent. 
Butter Fat.—The butter fat in sweetened condensed whole 
milk fluctuates from about 8 to 12 per cent., according to locality, 
season of year and degree of condensation. Sweetened con- 
densed milk sold in barrels is usually partly or wholly skimmed 
and is, therefore, low in fat. It has been suggested that a small 
‘portion of the milk fat is lost during the process of condensation, 
