38 FRUITS AND FKUIT PRODUCTS. 



the pectin bodies of the fruits and would be much more difficult to 

 detect if it were not for the fact that being obtained from seaweed it 

 contains large numbers of diatoms, which can be readily detected by 

 the use of the microscope. But it must be said that careful examina- 

 tion of the jellies described in this bulletin did not show the presence 

 of this material. There can be no doubt that apple juice in some 

 form is by far the most common substance used to give the desired 

 consistency. 



ARTIFICIAL SWEETENING MATERIALS. 



Artificial sweeteners are used to some extent in fruit products, 

 especial^ where glucose is used, in order to obtain the required degree 

 of sweetness. These may get into the product in two ways. The 

 manufacturer may add them, or he may use glucose which contains a 

 sweetener. 



There is said to be a mixture of crystallized dextrose, cane sugar,, 

 and saccharin on the market, which ordinarily would pass as cane 

 sugar. 



The sweetener generally used is saccharin (benzolsulphimid, or its 

 sodium salt), and it has been claimed that sucrol (phenetolcarbamid) 

 is also used, but it has never been noted in this countr}". 



Saccharin is a coal-tar product of great sweetening power, claimed 

 by the producers to be five hundred times sweeter than sugar, but it is 

 not a sugar and has no value as a food. It is also a powerful antiseptic. 

 It is sold in this country under various names, such as garantose, 

 sugarine, suchrin, and suchrine. Sugarose is another product on the 

 market which is a mixture of about 20 per cent of saccharin and 80 

 per cent of cane sugar. 



Another curious product is a sirup made of glycerin in which a large 

 amount of saccharin is dissolved. 



In many of the European countries the use of saccharin is prohibited 



in food stuffs of all kinds. '^ 



The physiological action of both saccharin and sucrol have been 

 studied somewhat extensively, and the literature on the subject 

 collected. ^ 



FOREIGN FRUITS. 



Aside from the use of apples as a basis for jellies, and occasionally 

 jams, the substitution of one fruit for a more expensive one is but 

 little practiced in this country. In many of the cheaper jams inferior 

 fruits were used; in others only small amounts of an}^ fruit were used; 

 but in only one case substitution other than that above stated was 

 detected. One sample of currant jam contained a large number of 



•» U. S. Dept. of Agr., Bureau of Chemistry Bui. No. 61, p. 8. 

 »^ Ver. Nahr. Genuss, Deutsche Reich, Heft II, pp. 137-142. 



