The markets are abundantly supplied with preparations known as infant foods, which, if the statements of the manufacturers are to be taken at their face value, are u remarkably efficient for feeding young children. Without question, these preparations have been widely used, and in many cases with apparently satisfactory results. An extended examination of their sources, i.e., the raw materials out of which they are made, and their chemical condition abundantly justifies a recommendation of caution in their use.

276. Composition Of Infant Foods

As a means of setting forth the real facts as regards this class of foods, reference is made to the report of an exhaustive examination in 1908 of twenty-three brands.1

Table LII. Composition Of Certain Infant Foods

TABLE LII

Composition of Certain Infant Foods

Water

Ash

Protein

Fiber

Carbohydrates

Fat

Lactose

Soluble in Water

Starch

Milk and Cereals

Per Cent

Per Cent

Per Cent

Per Cent

Per Cent

Per

Cent

Per Cent

Per Cent

Per Cent

Allenbury's Milk Food No. 2.....

4.98

3.69

9.00

0.28

68.33

13.72

27.14

82.27

Horlick's Malted Milk

3.63

3.70

12.94

71.37

8.36

0.39

88.58

Lactated Food. . .

7.12

1.19

8.13

82.84

0.72

9.67

34.54

41.94

Malted Cereals

Fessenden's Food . .

5.95

1.60

6.00

0.08

85.97

0.40

0.36

48.80

35.69

Mellin's Infant Food.

5.07

3.79

10.50

0.25

79.24

1.15

0.37

83.97

Sunbright's California Baby Food . . .

9.00

1.09

7.94

0.22

81.05

0.70

0.19

6.84

63.25

Ridges' Food . . .

9.24

0.60

11.81

0.05

77.26

1.04

0.12

3.90

69.46

Miscellaneous

Peptogenic Milk Powder

3.02

1.40

0.81

94.67

0.10

90.53

95.40

Eskay's Albumenized Food.....

3.06

1.34

6.56

0.04

87.80

1.20

36.98

51.10

28.41

1 Conn. Agric. Exp. Station, Rep., 1908, p. 599.

Table LIII. Sources And Ingredients Of Certain Infant Foods

TABLE LIII

Sources and Ingredients of Certain Infant Foods

What the Manufacturers Claim

What was Found

Allenbury's Milk Food No. 2

Made from pasteurized milk and malted wheat, no unaltered starch. Containing all elements of human milk in natural proportions.

No starch. Does not contain elements of human milk in natural proportions. Proportion of protein and fat too low.

Horlick's Malted Milk

Made from full cream milk and malted grains.

No starch.

Lactated Food

Contains the most important elements of mother's milk, with the nutritive principles of the cereal grains.

About two-fifths unaltered starch. Only about one-third dry matter soluble in water.

Fessenden's Food

Made from wheat, rye, arrowroot, and malted barley. No cane sugar or unaltered starch.

Raw arrowroot starch; over one-third dry matter is unchanged starch. Less than half dry matter soluble in water.

Mellin's Infant Food

Extract from wheat and malt. No cane sugar or starch.

No starch. Largely soluble in water.

Sunbright's California Baby Food

A perfect modifier of cow's milk.

Nearly two-thirds dry matter is unaltered starch. Only about one-seventh soluble in water.

Ridges' Food . .

Baked flour.

Largely raw wheat starch.

Peptogenic Milk Powder

Chiefly milk sugar.

No starch. Mostly milk sugar.

Eskays' Albumen-ized Food

Made from egg albumin and cereal.

Raw arrowroot starch. Cooked cereal starch. Very little soluble protein.