Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], December 01, 1953, Page 20, Image 20

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Iflßontana fëurai
Amy Martin
Household Editor
ome
An Editorial
Read the Label
On Foods, Drugs
THE FEDERAL SECURITY Ad
ministrator for the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare says
that "Enforcement of the Federal
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act is a
service to protect the health and
pocketbook of the consumer and the
operations of law-abiding industries.
The large majority of American
food, drug, device and cosmetic man
ufacturers are producing the safest,
cleanest and most informatively la
beled products ever available to the
public."
On the label the manufacturer is
required to tell you what is inside
the package. You as a consumer need
to know what to look for on the label
to be a good purchasing agent for
your family.
The food label must tell about the
product in a way which will not mis
lead the purchaser. It must be easy
to read and understand under ordi
nary conditions of purchase and use
(the print not so small a magnifying
glass is needed). The net contents
must be stated in liquid measure for
liquids and in weight for solids. The
name and place of business of the
manufacturer, packer or distributor
must be on the label. There are so
called "nutrition quacks" who try to
frighten people into believing that
their diets are deficient in vitamins
or minerals. After all, our common
foods—milk, meat, vegetables, fruits,
cereals—are the best sources of nor
mal vitamins and mineral require
ments.
The drug label must give adequate
directions for use. It must indicate
for what purpose the medicine is to
be taken, how much to take, how
often and for how long. The label
must also warn when the drug must
not be taken. Wild claims on labels
for worthless medicines are much
less frequent than they were years
ago.
frauds are often more sophisticated
and difficult to detect. As in the food
label, a plain statement of contents
as well as the name and address of
the manufacturer, packer or distrib
utor must be on the label.
However, today's medicine
Many devices for curing all sorts
of ailments are on the market today.
Only a few devices such as ultra vio
let lamps, infrared lamps, heating
pads and thermometers should be
used at home, and even for these
close attention should be paid to
their labeling. Following the direc
tions on even the thermometer will
enable you to use it properly. The
infrared lamp should never be
turned on children, sick or weak per
sons who might be unable to turn it
off.
Under our American system, the
user has his choice of a great variety
of wholesome, truthfully labeled
products to suit his particular needs.
If he is in doubt about any product
he should write to the Food and
Drug Administrator who will give
information wanted about any food,
drug, device or cosmetic in question.
—AMY MARTIN.
Cdandu and Cdandu ^FldaLing
AS FAR BACK as 2000 B. C. there
is evidence that sweets and honey
and dates were used as special foods
at banquets for royalty. It is diffi
cult to estimate the value of candy,
not only nutritionally but also in its
importance in our lives. The
thoughtful young man takes a box
of the young lady's special candy
when he goes courting. Giving candy
to children in war torn countries has
made us friends and the morale of
the soldier improves when candy
bars are included in rations.
We are prone to think that chil
dren should not be allowed to have
candy. However, a sweet at the end
of the meal, either as fudge cake or
a piece of fudge, brings the meal to
a pleasant end.
Christmas is the great candy holi
day. Candy canes on the Christmas
tree, boxes of home made candy from
the home kitchen or the most elab
orate confections from the candy
shop, all are a part of the Yuletide
celebration.
From "What's New in Home Eco
nomics" comes this very pertinent
information for the home candy
maker:
There are many interesting kinds
of homemade candy that are easy to
make, attractive to look at, and good
to eat. Commercially, candy making
is a well-controlled process, always
made with great precision as to
formula and often prepared with
some ingredients not available in re
tail stores. Then, too, it is often
made in temperature-and-humidity
controlled plants. Such exacting
conditions cannot be duplicated in
the home, and for this reason candies
sirup is dropped into cold water, but
this method of determining when the
candy is done is inexact and results
made at home differ from commer
cial candies.
A thermometer is essential for the
amateur candymaker when making
cooked candies since they must be
boiled to a given temperature. There
are observable differences at each re
quired temperature when the hot
are uncertain.
Two Classes of Candy
There are two general classes of
candy—crystalline and noncrystal
line—depending on the form in
which sugar is present and the
amount of sugar in the sirup. Fon
dant, fudge and penuchi are ex
amples of crystalline candies; cara
mels, taffies and brittles are familiar
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examples of noncrystalline candies.
There are several other types of
candies which have special textures,
such as gum drops and marshmal
lows. The texture of these candies
depends on the addition of such in
gredients as gelatin, vegetable gums
or pectin. The kind and amount of
the ingredients used, the way they
are combined, the temperatures to
which cooked candies are boiled, and
the treatment after cooking all are
responsible for differences in kinds
of candies.
Crystalline Candies
Y
In crystalme candies the size of
the su S ar crystals determines the so
called creammess of the candy. In
called creammess of the candy. In
cooked candies the sirup is boiled to
such concentration that the size of
su S ar crystals is controlled by us
* n S some ingredient that interferes
with crystal formation, and by cool
ing the sirup before beating. Such
ingredients, sometimes called inter
fering agents, adhere to the surface
of small crystals, and by preventing
them from collecting to form large
crystals, make the resulting candy
creamy in texture.
Corn sirup, butter, or cream are
commonly used to prevent the for
mation of large crystals. An acid,
such as cream of tartar or vinegar
is also commonly used to interfere
with the formation of large sugar
crystals, because it changes sucrose
to simple sugars and these simple
sugars interfere with crystallization,
Noncrystalline Candies
In making noncrystalline candies
the sirup is boiled to concentrate it
sufficiently so that it will not crystal
lize readily. Sometimes ingredients
that prevent crystallization are
added to noncrystalline types of
candy. Corn sirup or acid are fre
quently used for this purpose. Larger
amounts of corn sirup or acid than
are needed in crystalline candies are
required to insure the desired result.
Beet sugar and cane sugar are
sucrose and thus are alike chem
ically. They contain about 0.5 per
cent of moisture and are easily dis
solved in water. They also permit
water to evaporate quickly. There
fore, crystalline candies which con
tain a large per cent of sucrose lose
moisture quickly, while noncrystal
line candies take up moisture
quickly.
Other Ingredients Used
Although sugar in one or more
of its forms is the important in
gredient in making candy, there are
many other ingredients that are used
for flavor, for variety in texture,
and for food value. Certain candies
are used in making other candies, as
marshmallows in fudge or melted
caramels to coat such candies as
marshmallows or to cover apples.
candy making. Its use prevents
curdling when an acid ingredient,
such as brown sugar is used with
milk in the recipe. It reacts with the
acid in taffies and the released car
bon dioxide helps to make taffies
and brittles porous . i t darkens some
types of can dies and it is thought
Baking soda has several uses in
that soda makes candy taste less
sweet
recipes given here are right in line
with the present trend in the making
of quickly prepared foods. To make
these crystalline types of no-cook
candies or any of their variations,
it is not essential to have special
candy-making equipment, no special
skill is needed, and no ripening
period is required.
Used also are various dried or
canned fruits, such as dates, raisins,
pineapple, cherries, and coconut.
Other ingredients—gelatin, pectin,
butter or margarine, peanut butter,
flavoring of many kinds, corn sirup,
molasses,
honey, nonfat dry milk solids, evap
orated milk, sweetened condensed
milk—all make definite contribu
tions to appearance, flavor, texture,
or food value of candies, and thus
are candy complements. Salt also is
an important ingredient in all types
of candy as a flavor improver.
Quick Candies
marshmallow
topping,
The no-cook fondant and fudge
Available also are mixes from
which to make candies quickly. To
some, fine sugar as confectioners'
must be blended in with butter or
margarine, while others require only
that the package contents be added
to a little melted butter and water.
Pralines, another crystalline type
of candy, are popular and are not
difficult to make when directions
are followed accurately. Sugared
grapefruit and orange rind make an
attractive addition to the gift pack
age, because they are colorful, fill
in spaces, and are of course, good to
eat.
To prevent crystalline candies
from losing moisture and noncrystal-