Special Report On The Extent And Character Of Food Adulterations

Author : Alexander John Wedderburn
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781332179596
Total Pages : 70 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (795 download)

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Download or read book A Popular Treatise on the Extent and Character of Food Adulterations (Classic Reprint) written by Alexander John Wedderburn and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-04 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from A Popular Treatise on the Extent and Character of Food Adulterations Adulterations are of two kinds, injurious and non-injurious to health. Adulterations non injurious to health may be subdivided again into two classes, viz: Those that are simple debasements of well-known dietary articles of which a standard exists, by which to test them, such as flour, grain, lard, wine, sugar, etc. The second subdivision includes such articles as patent medicines, yeast-powders, beer, etc., and presents special difficulties to the investigator from the lack of any such standard and of any fixed rules to govern the formulas. The investigations of the writer show, as will, I think, be conclusively -proved by the evidence adduced, that adulteration of our food products is generally and steadily increasing. That most of these adulterations belong to the second class, namely, the non-injurious to health, is a cause for congratulation, and in many cases of adulteration prejudicial to health, the use of such adulterants ought to be charged rather to ignorance than ta malice. The result to the consumer, however, is just as grievous, and calls as loudly for his protection from deleterious compounds fraudulently introduced into food, drink, and drugs as though he were the victim of malice. It may be noted here that among the most poisonous adulterants in use are those used to color and cheapen confectionery and liquors. Now, setting aside for a moment the consideration of this most grievous sort of adulteration, by which the public health is injured, we find what we have styled "non-injurious adulteration" so common that estimates as to the amount of which the American people are annually defrauded in this manner are simply appalling. Several features of this great and growing evil demand special consideration. First, this fraud bears most heavily upon the uneducated and the poor. While the poor man is compelled to patronize cheap stores, and in his struggle for existence and his endeavor to provide the quantity necessary to supply the daily wants of himself and family, is driven to purchase cheap goods, the rich man can to a certain extent protect himself by confining his dealings to the most reputable tradesman and paying the highest prices. Again, we find that adulteration of many of our food products results in cheapening the product of the farm, thus lessening the profits of the husbandman, and robbing both consumer and producer. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.