Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 74.djvu/65

Rh growth in air and sunshine. We are content with the ruddy glow of the apple, the blush of the peach and the rich scarlet of the strawberry, and ask no artificial coloring to improve them. When these fruits are preserved, or extracts or juices are put upon the market, are we not entitled to the natural product without falsification or adornment? If in the process of preserving the color is not wholly retained, let it go; the flavor of the fruit will not suffer from loss of color, and we soon learn that this change of color goes with fruit preserved in that particular way. The manufacturer prepares only what he believes is demanded by the people, so, after all, the consumers must indicate whether they want artificially colored food or not.

In regard to the artificial coloring of ice-cream, jams, jellies, preserves, gelatin preparations, canned fruits, vegetables, extracts and all foods that have heretofore been colored, the safest position is to demand that they appear on the market without the so-called "improvement," by the art of the color manufacturer, no matter how skillful he be. In this way only are we assured of the quality of the article and its freedom, from this source, at least, from injurious ingredients.