The New Student's Reference Work/Adulteration of Foods

Adul′tera′tion of Foods, any changing of a food for the purpose of deceiving the purchaser. The term includes, for example, the mixing of cheaper substances with the food so as to increase the amount of profit from its sale, the mixing in of preservatives and materials calculated to improve the appearance of partly spoiled food, the extraction of cream from milk, etc.

The practice is, no doubt, as old as trade, and has frequently been legislated against by all civilized countries. At the present time the laws against it throughout the greater part of Europe are stringent and usually enforced. The laws in the United States concerning adulteration are carefully drawn, but it has not always been possible to enforce them. Recently a law of national scope has been passed, which requires that the wrapper of any food shall have upon it a statement of the exact contents, including preservatives.