SYNTHETIC MILK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1618, 9 December 1912, Page 10

SYNTHETIC MILK.

"MADE IN GERMANY." There arrived in london frbrri Frankfort recently a few bottles.of milk in the creation of which no cow had taken any part. In appearance it was identical, with ordinary milk and its taste very similar, except for an additional richness. Commenting on the new product, the "Daily Graphic" stated :— "The. bottles - oontained the first sam-' pies of imitation or synthetic milk that have ever been produeed-rchemically pre; pared by a German scientist. Mr. A. J! Fauldirig, who is introducing this remarkable product to England, gave an opportunity to several eminent scientists and medical men of, testing and tasting the 'milk.' , "The belief in the manifold advantages, of ordinary cow's milk is so deeprooted that it is obvious that the claims of the artificial variety will have to be very clearly . demonstrated and established beyond a possibility of doubt before the prejudice in favour of the former is fully overcome., What, tlen, are these claims? "Briefly, they are improved purity, digestibility and nutrition. Of these qualities the first -is the most important. A pure milk supply—free from the slightest suspicion of tuberculosis—has always been a great desideratum. It is claimed, and with reason, that if milk is directly prer pared by laboratory methods from the vegetable matter to which the cow looks as a source for her milk, all danger of Contamination from an impure animal is eliminated. The vegetable matter in this case is the '6<>ya' bean. Since the natural and animal process is responsible for any dangerous germs-, and these germs are themselves the cause of swift deterioration, it is, evidence that milk made by mechanical means will be not only intrinsically purer, but will keep longer. "The full analysis of synthetic milk is not yet published, but Mr. Faulding has asserted that it contains 3.65 fat, 4.85 sugar, 3.85 albuminous matter (casein), and 0.67 minerals, besides other ingredients. In short, the fatty matter is more widely distributed than in cow's milk,, and the albumen and proteids more plentiful. "It is believed that synthetic milk can be manufactured on a commercial scale at a price which will enable it to compete successfully with ordinary milk."