GRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 928 
Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry 
JOHN R. MOHLER, Chief 
Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER January 7, 1921 
SUBSTITUTES FOR SUCROSE IN CURING MEATS. 
By RatpH HoacLanp, Senior Biochemist, Biochemic Division. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
Quantity of sugar used in curing Experimental work—Continued. 
ANCES ieee ey Tr ein EN 1 Experiments with sweet-pickle 
Function of sugar in curing meat__ 2 DECOR es 055 A aie ea 12 
Substitutes for sugar ______~-____ 2 Experiments with box-cured 
IVCHMETS es SUn Ue te 2 Paco 2 0. Te Fe ea 19 
COLNESUP AT CELE RE Bie Eee 3 Experiments with beef hams__ 23 
TH KP CIMA tal WORK eee ee 4 U\Generaly Summary: es ee 28 
Generaliplan 2a ee ee 4 
Experiments with pork hams__ 4 
QUANTITY OF SUGAR USED IN CURING MEATS. 
Sugar is used extensively in the curing of meats in this country. 
In 1917, 15,924,009 pounds of sugar as such and 1,712,008 pounds in 
the form of sirup, or a total of 17,636,017 pounds, was used in curing 
meats in pickle in Government-inspected establishments. In addi- 
tion, a considerable quantity of sugar was used in curing meats in 
the dry way, so that the total quantity of sugar used in curing meats 
probably amounted to about 20,000,000 pounds. This estimate does 
not include the amount of sugar used in curing meats on the farm, for 
which there are no data available. 
At the time the sugar shortage developed in this country during 
the war, an investigation was started to ascertain how the greatest 
economy in the use of sugar in curing meats could be effected. Sev- 
eral methods appeared feasible but the use of certain sugar substi- 
stutes appeared to be the most practicable one. <A series of carefully 
controlled experiments in the curing of several classes of meats 
with a number of sugar substitutes and with cane sugar was carried 
on in three large and one small meat-packing establishment. ‘This 
investigation was completed a short time before the signing of the 
armistice, and while the war-time need for the information has 
passed, yet it is believed that the results of these experiments may be 
of present value. 
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