Preservatives, such as salicylic, benzoic acid, boric acids
and formaldehyde in canned fruits and vegetables, catsups,
mince meats, milk, and meat may have, however, injur-
ious effects on digestion and nutrition, particularly for chil-
dren and invalids. While it is true that their use has been
very largely regulated by the pure food laws, nevertheless
in some foods harmful preservatives are still used. If pres-
ent in large quantities they may be detected by the flavor,
but usually the amount used is so small that detection,
except by chemical tests, is difficult.
Copyright, 1912, Home Economics Association.
389
390 LESSONS IN COOKING
Artificial Coloring is employed as a rule to intensify
the natural color of the food product. Examples may be
found in the use of copper to make green tea, in coloring
pickles, beans, peas, tomatoes, etc., and in the dyes used in
fruits, ice cream, confections, etc. The effects are injurious
or not according to the dye used. In general the vegetable
dyes are less harmful than the aniline dyes but a few of
the vegetable coloring matters are injurious and some of
the aniline dyes have no effect on digestion.
In artificial products a manufactured article is used in
place of the natural one. Fruit flavorings in which nothing
but chemicals have been used to obtain the desired flavor,
such as banana, peach, strawberry, raspberry, pineapple,
etc., are striking examples of artificial products. Commer-
cial glucose made by treating starch with acid, wooden nut-
megs and oleomargarine are other examples.
Misbranding is the form of deception practiced most
often upon the housekeeper. While the pure food laws have
required the proper naming of the article, and the printing
of the formula upon the label, the latter is usually done in
such a way as to escape the notice of the less observant as it
appears in very fine print compared to the name. For ex-
ample a bottle of vanilla is labelled "Vanilla" in very large
type, while the word "Compound" is printed in very small
type beneath it. Consequently in purchasing look carefully
at the label to be sure you are getting and paying for what
you zvant as far as you are able to see.
While many of these substitutions, adulterations, etc., do
not lessen the food value of the article, they do decrease
its economic value ; consequently it is wise for the house-
keeper to know some of the methods of adulterations and
the tests for their detection.
The following are some of the simpler methods for the
detection of adulterations in foods :
To Detect Adulterants in Coffee
I. Shake some ground coffee in cold water. Pure coffee
usually floats on the surface, while ordinary adulterants
sink; chicory colors the water a brownish red.
AUGUST MENUS 391
To Test Extracts
1. Vanilla
Page 217
Presented as published in 1912. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Preservatives, such as salicylic, benzoic acid, boric acids and formaldehyde in canned fruits and vegetables, catsups, mince meats, milk, and meat may have, however, injurious effects on digestion and nutrition, particularly for children and invalids. While it is true that their use has been very largely regulated by the pure food laws, nevertheless in some foods harmful preservatives are still used. If present in large quantities they may be detected by the flavor, but usually the amount used is so small that detection, except by chemical tests, is difficult.
Copyright, 1912, Home Economics Association.
Artificial Coloring is employed as a rule to intensify the natural color of the food product. Examples may be found in the use of copper to make green tea, in coloring pickles, beans, peas, tomatoes, etc., and in the dyes used in fruits, ice cream, confections, etc. The effects are injurious or not according to the dye used. In general the vegetable dyes are less harmful than the aniline dyes but a few of the vegetable coloring matters are injurious and some of the aniline dyes have no effect on digestion.
In artificial products a manufactured article is used in place of the natural one. Fruit flavorings in which nothing but chemicals have been used to obtain the desired flavor, such as banana, peach, strawberry, raspberry, pineapple, etc., are striking examples of artificial products. Commercial glucose made by treating starch with acid, wooden nutmegs and oleomargarine are other examples.
Misbranding is the form of deception practiced most often upon the housekeeper. While the pure food laws have required the proper naming of the article, and the printing of the formula upon the label, the latter is usually done in such a way as to escape the notice of the less observant as it appears in very fine print compared to the name. For example a bottle of vanilla is labelled "Vanilla" in very large type, while the word "Compound" is printed in very small type beneath it. Consequently in purchasing look carefully at the label to be sure you are getting and paying for what you want as far as you are able to see.
While many of these substitutions, adulterations, etc., do not lessen the food value of the article, they do decrease its economic value ; consequently it is wise for the housekeeper to know some of the methods of adulterations and the tests for their detection.
The following are some of the simpler methods for the detection of adulterations in foods :
To Detect Adulterants in Coffee
I. Shake some ground coffee in cold water. Pure coffee usually floats on the surface, while ordinary adulterants sink; chicory colors the water a brownish red.
To Test Extracts
1. Vanilla