178 Condensed Milk and Milk Powder 



in order to comply with the Pure Food regulations. However, it 

 is possible for condenseries receiving fresh milk, rich in butter fat, 

 to skim a part of that milk and have their product still conform 

 with the food standards. 



Skimmed sweetened condensed milk can readily be detected by 

 its whitish color, while condensed whole milk has normally a rich 

 yellow color. When diluted, to the consistency of ordinary milk, 

 skimmed condensed milk, both the sweetened and the unsweetened, 

 foams very profusely when shaken, while diluted condensed whole 

 milk behaves similar to ordinary whole milk. 1 



Addition of Artificial Fats. — In order to lower the cost of 

 manufacture, attempts have occasionally been made to skim the 

 fresh milk and substitute the abstracted fat by artificial fats of 

 animal or vegetable origin. If the punishment for such violations 

 of the law and the protection of the consumer had to solely depend 

 on the findings of food chemists, justice would indeed be dealt out 

 very slowly, for condensed milk is analyzed for the kinds of fat 

 it contains in but very rare cases, and the detection of artificial fat 

 by chemical analysis is a difficult process. Fortunately for the 

 consumer, there are easier and simpler means to detect "filled" 

 condensed milk. The presence of foreign fats in condensed milk, 

 whether animal or vegetable, give the product a peculiar flavor and 

 odor, not present in the unadulterated milk. This unnatural flavor 

 and odor is especially noticeable when a teaspoon ful of the con- 

 densed milk is dissolved in half of a cupful of hot water or coffee. 



The addition to condensed milk of artificial fats produces an 

 inferior quality of condensed milk and decreases its keeping quality. 

 The milk is prone to become rancid. Condenseries are known to 

 have lost their output of an entire season as the result of the 

 adulteration of their product with artificial fats. The practice of 

 adulterating condensed milk with foreign fats is now an exceed- 

 ingly rare occurrence. 



Addition of Commercial Glucose. — Commercial glucose belongs 

 to a group of starch products in which dextrose is the leading 

 constituent. It is manufactured by the action of dilute acids on 

 starch and starchy matter, or occasionally woody fiber. In this 

 country it is almost wholly made from maize starch. 



1 For chemical tests ot butterfat in condensed milk, see Chapter XXVII 



