The adulteration of foods should be a subject of great interest to the housekeeper from the economic as well as the food value standpoints.

Adulterations may be classified as follows: - (1) Substitutions,, (2) Partial Substitutions, (3) Use of Preservatives, (4) Artificial Coloring, (5) Artificial products, (6) Misbranding.

Substitutions - a different article entirely is offered in place of the genuine, as for instance, the essence of the tonka bean, instead of the vanilla for vanilla extract, peach pits for almonds, horse flesh for beef, cotton seed oil for olive oil, glucose for honey, etc. In each case a cheaper article is offered at the same price of the more expensive. This, then, is simply a matter of deception, making the people pay for something they are not getting.

Partial Substitutions - a part only of the genuine article is replaced by the adulterant, such as chicory and parched grains mixed with coffee, ground nut shells, sawdust, etc., in spices, glucose in place of sugar in jellies, preserves, candies, etc., stems of plants in tea, etc. Here as in total substitutions, the harm lies in the fraud perpetrated, as no injurious effects will result from the use of such articles.

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.

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 yon 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: