BUTTER 89 



preparing the flask are also from the same 

 source. 



When it is intended merely to distinguish 

 butter from oleomargarin, it will be sufficient to 

 saponify 3 c.c. of the clarified fat, dilute, acidify, 

 distil 100 c.c. in the ordinary manner and titrate 

 as directed. "Straight oleos," that is, samples 

 containing inappreciable amounts of butter, will 

 give a distillate requiring only a few c.c. of alkali. 



Butter (s grams) yields a distillate requiring 

 from 24 to 34 c.c. of ^/lo alkali. Several instances 

 have been published in which genuine butter has 

 given a figure as low as 22.5 c.c, but such results 

 are uncommon. The materials employed in 

 the preparation of oleomargarin yield a distillate 

 requiring less than i c.c. of alkali. Commercial 

 oleomargarin is usually churned with milk in 

 order to secure a butter flavor, and, th-us acquiring 

 a small amount of butter-fat, yields distillates 

 capable of neutralizing from i to 2 c.c. of alkali. 



If coconut oil has been used in the preparation 

 of the oleomargarin, the figure will be higher, but 

 there will still be no difficulty in distinguishing 

 pure butter. 



The determination of the Reichert number will 

 usually give sufficient information as to the 

 nature of a butter sample. In doubtful cases it 

 may be of advantage to apply other tests as 

 corroborative evidence. 



