Foods and Their Adulteration: Origin, Manufacture, and Composition of Food Products; Description of Common Adulterations, Food Standards, and National Food Laws and RegulationsWiley, Harvey Washington
Science
Foods and Their Adulteration: Origin, Manufacture, and Composition of Food Products; Description of Common Adulterations, Food Standards, and National Food Laws and Regulations
Wiley, Harvey Washington
Food; Food adulteration and inspection
_Adulteration of Gelatine._--The adulterations of gelatine are such as
those referred to above in the form of raw materials employed which
are insanitary and unfit for food. In addition to this, bleaching
agents, namely, sulfurous acid or sulfites and mineral acids, are
often employed in the manufacture, portions of which may remain in
the finished article. All of these substances must be regarded as
adulterants and as insanitary and unsuitable to gelatine, and to that
extent unfit for human consumption.
_Presence of Tetanus in Commercial Gelatine._--The Public Health and
Marine Hospital Service has investigated gelatine to determine whether
or not it may be infected with pathogenic germs. The conclusions of
the investigation are as follows (Bulletin No. 9, Hygienic Laboratory):
“Seven samples of gelatine examined; one showed tetanus spores.
“Two samples showed an oval end-spore rod, whose identity was not
proved, but, in stained specimens, it would be hard to distinguish from
tetanus, if indeed not tetanus with diminished virulence.
“In tetanus investigations it is important to use _freshly_ made
bouillon, as the organism is apt not to germinate in bouillon over ten
days old. The thermal death point of the organism isolated was found to
be between twenty and thirty seconds at 100 degrees C.
“It is important, therefore, that gelatine to be used for injections
should be boiled at least ten minutes on account of the variability of
the thermal death point in different species of tetanus. Whether this
amount of heating impairs in any way the hemostatic power of gelatine
has not been settled, but in case it does it is believed that the
danger from tetanus more than overbalances its therapeutic value.
“It is suggested that when, as in hospitals, there is likelihood of
gelatine injections being used for hemostatic purposes the gelatine
solution be sterilized by the fractional method on three successive
days and kept ready for use in sterile containers.”
From the data given above it is seen that gelatine may become infected
and the material from which it is made for edible purposes should be
healthful, sanitary and fit for food. It is not likely that tetanus
germs would prove dangerous when taken into the stomach, but freedom
from infection should be secured if possible. These investigations
show the wisdom of the pure food law in forbidding the use of parts of
animals unfit for food, whether manufactured or not, in the production
of food products. It is evident that a sufficient quantity of fresh,
sanitary material or material properly preserved can be obtained in
this country or in other countries to supply the needs for edible
gelatine without resorting to the use of inedible parts of hides,
horns, hoofs and other waste and unfit portions of the animal.
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