Detection of the Common Food Adulterants

Because of the recent agitation of the pure food question throughout the country, health officers, food-inspectors, and chemistry teachers and students are constantly called upon to test the purity of various foods. And this usually involves nothing more than making simple qualitative tests for adulterants. In view of the fact that there is now no text or manual devoted exclusively to the qualitative examination of foods, this little book is offered to those who are interested in this work.

Its aim is to bring together in one small book the best and simplest qualitative tests for all the common food adulterants. It contains a brief statement of the adulterants likely to be found and the reason for their use. It is hoped that it will be specially valuable to chemistry teachers in furnishing excellent supplementary work in qualitative analysis. But it is hoped that it will find its greatest usefulness in contributing something toward the great pure food reform.

It is impossible to make due mention of all the sources from which these various tests have been collected, but where possible, the author’s name has been associated with the test.