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Food adulteration, 1845
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Food adulteration, 1845
London improvements : adulteration of food in 1845. Sand is added to sugar, milk is watered down, bone dust and plaster of paris is added to dough and Vitriol is mixed into gin. Date: 1845
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Media ID 14142869
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1840s 1845 Added Alcohol Baker Bone Bread Deceive Deception Deceptive Dough Dust Health Improvements Milk Mixed Plaster Poison Processed Sand Sugar Trick Watered Adulteration Vitriol
EDITORS COMMENTS
This thought-provoking image from 1845, titled "London Improvements: Adulteration of Food," sheds light on the rampant issue of food and drink adulteration in the 1840s, a time when public health and consumer protection were virtually non-existent. The photograph depicts various scenes of food and drink being deceptively altered, with sand being added to sugar, milk being watered down, bone dust and plaster of Paris being mixed into dough, and vitriol being mixed into gin. During this era, food and drink adulteration was a common practice in the industry, with bakers, brewers, and even grocers adding harmful substances to their products to increase profits and extend shelf life. The use of sand in sugar was a particularly notorious example, with up to 20% of the sugar supply being adulterated in this way. Milk was often watered down and contaminated with chalk or plaster of Paris to give it a thicker consistency and make it appear fresher. Bone dust and other impurities were added to bread dough to bulk it up and reduce production costs. The addition of vitriol to gin was a particularly dangerous form of adulteration, as it contained sulfuric acid, which could lead to blindness, kidney damage, and even death. Despite the risks, consumers were often unaware of these deceptive practices, as the adulterated products were often indistinguishable from the genuine article. This image serves as a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and regulation in the food and drink industry, and the potential health risks that can arise when these standards are not met. The 1840s were a pivotal time in the history of food and drink production, with the establishment of the first food safety laws and the emergence of the consumer protection movement. This photograph is a testament to the progress that has been made in ensuring the safety and integrity of the food and drink we consume today.
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