Dec., 1913
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
hydrate a n d i t s evaporation t o dryness. T h e ether residue, after separation, is poured into a t e s t t u b e a n d a b o u t j cm. of water containing a small amount of ferric chloride a r e added. T h e t e s t t u b e is t h e n shaken vigorously a n d t h e ether a n d water layers allowed t o separate. T h e presence of salicylic acid is indicated b y a violet coloration of t h e water layer. CHEMICAL LABORATORY, DEPARTMBNT O F HEALTH N E W YORKCITY
BOUKLON CUBES By F. C. COOK‘ Received September 13, 1913
INTRODUCTION
Bouillon cubes consist of a large a m o u n t of common salt mixed with varying amounts of meat a n d plant extract, a small per cent of fat, a n d a little condiment. Some of t h e products sold under t h e name “bouillon cubes” contain b u t a small per cent of meat stock o r extractives, a n d are not entitled t o t h e t e r m “bouillon” unless i t is modified. T h e y are extensively advertised as capable of making a stimulating a n d appetizing hot drink simply b y being dissolved in hot water. T h e y have, therefore, a legitim a t e place among Aur dietary accessories. Several brands of these cubes have appeared on t h e TABLEI - h i A L Y S I S
* Sample No. 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Brand Behrend Oxo Steero Burnham Sunbeam Armour Morris Standard Liggitt Knorr
Solids Per cent 96.60 95.06 96.05 96.87 95.73 96.05 96.77 95.81 96.00 95.44
Organic material Per cent 22.86 25.31 28.41 41.94 45.23 26.48 33.00 21.76 21.91 26.24
Ether extract Per cent 1.93 3.10 1.20 1.00 1.44 0.96 3.79 4.19 4.58 4.57
of t h e Association of Official Agricultural Chemists,‘ total creatinin b y t h e Benedict-Myers2 autoclave method, a n d precipitation with alcohol in hydrochloric acid solution was carried out according t o Rippetoe’s method,3 which is as follows: Rippetoe’s Method.-Transfer I O cc. of a n aqueous solution containing z grams of t h e sample t o a zoo cc. glass-stoppered measuring cylinder, a d d I. z cc. of 1 2 per cent hydrochloric acid, mix a n d a d d absolute alcohol t o t h e zoo cc. mark, shake a n d let s t a n d several hours a t 2 0 t o 2 j o C , If necessary make t o mark, filter, a n d determine total nitrogen i n I O O cc. of filtrate. T h e acidity figures were obtained b y titrating one g r a m of t h e sample dissolved in roo cc. of water with twentieth-normal sodium hydroxide, using phenolphthalein as indicator. The results obtained on t h e t e n samples of cubes analyzed are given in Tables I a n d 11. The water content of t h e cubes examined was under j per cent a n d t h e ether extract figures varied from I t o 4. j 8 per cent. These last figures represent t h e amount of fat added t o these cubes during t h e process of manufacture. T h e ash, which is largely sodium chloride, varied from 50 t o 74 per cent. il large amount of sodium chloride is necessary t o give a salty taste t o t h e cup of water in which t h e cube is d:ssoloed, a n d
OF BOUILLONCUBES-ORIGINAL
Ash Per cent 73.74 69.75 67.64 54.93 50.50 69.57 63.77 74.05 74.09 69.20
American market i n t h e past five years, most of t h e m manufactured in this country, a n d some imported from Germany. M a n y are wrapped in tin foil, while others are wrapped in paraffin paper, a n d occasionally a brand of cubes is found in both foil a n d paper. As t h e moisture content is low a n d a large a m o u n t of salt is present, t h e y will keep indefinitely, although certain makes t e n d t o lose their form during warm weather. The bouillon cubes which are reported in this paper were collected on t h e New York market in 1 9 1 2 . M E T H O D S O F ANALYSIS
T h e samples were prepared for analysis b y grinding fifteen t o t w e n t y cubes in a mortar as thoroughly as possible a n d placing t h e composite paste in small screw-cap jars. T h e solids were obtained b y drying t o constant weight in v a c u o a t 6 j 0 C. T h e ash, sodium chloride, phosphoric acid (P*O,), nitrogen, a n d ether extract were determined b y t h e methods 1 Physiological Chemist, Animal Physiological Chemistry Laboratory, Bureau of Chemistry.
989
Total chlorine a s sodium chloride Per cent i2.13 65.00 62.15 52.90 49.26 67.44 59.17 72.22 71.98 65,OO
BASIS
Acidity (cc. trventiethTotal normal phosphoric sodium acid (PzOs) hydroxid Per cent per 1 gram) 1.02 6.20 1.51 6.50 1.83 9.15 0.58 6.10 0.54 7.30 0.62 6.00 1.69 9.68 0.48 5.01 0.41 4.75 1.55 7.40
h‘itrogen precipitated b y absolute alcohol in Total hydrochloric nitrogen acid Per cent Per cent 2.19 0.13 2.97 0.86 3.62 0.76 2.11 0.05 2.36 0.02 2.79 0.17 3.67 0.56 2.09 0.07 2.11 0.05 3.20 0.91
Total creatinin Per cent 0.84 1.07 1.67 0.88 0.92 1.07 1.07 0.50 0.49 1.38
t o furnish body t o t h e cube. Sudendorf4 analyzed 18 samples of cubes bought on t h e market a t H a m burg, Germany, a n d t w o samples prepared in his TABLE 11-ANALYSIS
Sample NO.
1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Brand Behrend oxo Steero Burnham Sunbeam Armour Morris Standard Liggitt Knorr
OF
BOUILLONCUBES-WATER, FAT, A N D ASH-FREE BASIS
Phosphoric acid (PzOs) Per cent 4.86 6.80 6.73 1.41 1.23 2.43 5.78 2.73 2.37 7.14
Total nitrogen Per cent 10.50 13.37 13.30 5.03 5.39 10.94 12.57 11.88 12. IS 14.75
Ratio of Total creatinin creatinin to Per cent total nitrogen 1 : 2.6 4.01 1 : 2.8 4.82 1 : 2.2 6.14 1 : 2.4 2.10 1 : 2.6 2.10 1 : 2.6 4.10 1 : 2.2 5.82 1 : 4.2 2.84 1 : 4.3 2.83 1 : 2.3 6.36
laboratory. T h e latter contained sufficient salt t o give a satisfactory taste t o t h e cup of bouillon. T h e 1
3
4
Bull. 107, Rev., Bureau of Chemistry, U. S. Dept. Agr. Am. J . Phys., 18, 397 (1907). Private communication. 2. Nahr. Genussm., Z3, 577 (1912).
990
THE J O U R N A L OF IiVDUSTRIAL A N D EWGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
results showed t h a t 65 per cent of sodium chloride is sufficient t o be added t o a cube. The figures for total creatinin vary according t o t h e amount and kind of t h e meat extract present. T h e total creatinin includes t h e original creatinin of t h e cube a n d t h e creatin which has been changed t o creatinin in t h e autoclave. As both substances are structurally closely related, and have a common origin in t h e creatin of t h e muscle, only t h e figure for total creatinin is given in this table. The determination of creatinin is very important in this work as i t is of value in showing how much meat extract was used in preparing t h e cube. According t o Seiger,’ if we place t h e creatinin content of meat extract a t 6 per cent, t h e n bouillon cubes should contain t h e following amounts of creatinin: Meat extract used Per cent 25 20 15 10
Creatinin contained Per cent 1.5 1.2 0.9 0.6
T h e creatinin determination is applied t o t h e water solution of t h e cube or meat extract. As noted2 by t h e writer before, there is not sufficient protein present in ordinary meat extract t o interfere with t h e creatinin test. Geret3 has recently stated t h a t t h e meat extract content of different cubes, based on t h e analyses of Liebig’s meat extract, varies from 2 0 t o z j per cent for t h e superior cubes while t h e inferior cubes contain no creatinin. He also stated t h a t gelatin increases t h e creatinin results. I n a previous publication t h e writer stated t h a t egg albumen a n d Witte’s peptone, when added t o solutions containing creatinin, decreased t h e creatinin result. The figures on which these statements are based were obtained b y t h e Benedict-Myers method. I t is !ikely t h a t solutions of creatin containing gelatin or egg albumen, when evaporated t o dryness or otherwise treated, would give high creatinin figures due t o caramel or other colored products formed during t h e process, which might account for t h e high figures obtained b y Geret. Meat extract contains a higher per cent of total nitrogen t h a n plant extract; therefore, a cube prepared largely from meat extract has a higher total nitrogen content t h a n one prepared largely from plant extract. A good cube is indicated by high creatinin a n d high nitrogen figures. The results obtained by precipitation with absolute alcohol in hydrochloric acid solution, as outlined above, show t h a t a larger per cent of nitrogen is precipitated in a high-grade t h a n in a low-grade cube, a n d t h e figures are of some value in determining how much meat extract has been used in t h e preparation of t h e cube. T h e nitrogen precipitated by absolute alcohol in hydrochloric acid is not appreciably affected by t h e sodium chloride present. T h e acidity figures are of little value in determining t h e nature of t h e constituents present i n a bouillon cube. 1
2 J
Konserven Z i g . , 48, 3 7 8 (1912). J . A m . Chem. SOL.,S1, 673 (1909). Z. N a h r . Gcnussm., 24, 570 (1912)
Vol.
j,
NO. 1 2
The phosphoric acid (P,Os) results, especially when calculated t o a water, f a t , a n d ash-free basis, show higher figures for t h e superior cubes t h a n for t h e inferior ones. The value of t h e phosphoric acid (P206), total nitrogen and total creatinin results are more apparent on t h e water, f a t , a n d ash-free basis t h a n on t h e original basis. The creatinin-total nitrogen ratios show little in regard t o t h e composition of t h e cubes, as a low creatinin figure due t o t h e use of a small amount of meat extract, a n d a low total nitrogen figure due t o t h e use of a large amount of plant extract would be found in t h e same product. From a survey of Sudendorf’s analyses of cubes collected on t h e German market it is apparent t h a t t h e cubes sold on t h e market in this country are very similar in composition t o those on t h e German market, t h a t is, both consist of a large amount of salt, together with smaller amounts of meat a n d plant extracts. S U 41bI AR Y
Bouillon cubes on t h e market a t present consist of about 5 per cent of water, I t o 4 . 5 per cent of ether extract (fat), a n d jo t o 74 per cent of ash which is practically all sodium chloride. T h e nitrogen bodies a n d undetermined organic material amount t o 2 0 t o 4 0 per cent. The phosphoric acid (P2Oj) varies from 0.4 t o 1.8 per cent, t h e total nitrogen from 2.1 t o 3.6 per cent, and t h e total creatinin from 0.49 t o 1.67 per cent. A cube prepared largely from meat extract gives high total phosphoric acid .( P20j), total nitrogen, a n d total creatinin figures. The amount of nitrogen precipitated by absolute alcohol a n d hydrochloric acid is also markedly higher t h a n in a cube containing much plant and little meat extract. Bouillon cubes are extensively advertised a n d are sold on account of their flavoring a n d stimulating properties, rather t h a n for a n y slight food value they may possess. The large per cent of sodium chloride, which need not exceed 6 j per cent, is used t o furnish body t o t h e cube a n d t o give a salty taste t o t h e cup of water in which t h e cube is dissolved. Bouillon is a clear broth, t h e basis of which is meat; consequently a true bouillon cube should show high creatinin a n d high total nitrogen figures, and should be prepared entirely, or largely from meat stock or meat extract in addition t o the salt and fat present. Several of t h e cubes on t h e market contain much more plant t h a n meat extract a n d are not entitled t o t h e name “bouillon” unless modified. U.
s.
BCREAUOF CHEMISTRY DEPARTMEW O F AGRICULTURE WASHIKGTON, D . C.
THE INFLUENCE OF BRAN-EXTRACTS ON THE BAKING QUALITIES OF FLOUR B y H. I,. WHITE Received September 6, 1913
I t is generally recognized t h a t bran a n d shorts contain valuable food constituents such as f a t , carbohydrates other t h a n cellulose, mineral matter a n d some nitrogenous material. Attempts have been made t o improve t h e bread-making qualities of a flour, by in-
