Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1916 — USING BLOOD IN MAKING BREAD [ARTICLE]

USING BLOOD IN MAKING BREAD

Takes the place ot Water in Mixing the Dough and Makes the Staff of Life More Nutritious. Every housewife fknows that bread can be made more nutritious, as well as more appetizing, by adding albuminous substances such" as milk and eggs to the dough. But she knows too that milk and eggs are nowadays extremely expensive items, which the ordinary family is unable to use lavishly. But as it happens there is .a highly -nitrogenous and nutritious substance which ■might take their place at a far lower cost. This is the blood which occurs as a necessary by-product in abba--Itoirs. Immense quantities of this are produced annually, and this food substance is rich not only in energyproducing coinpounds, but in those mineral salts which are so necessary to the body. t'n fortunately. there is a widespread prejudice against the use of thi s valuable food-mater-; ial, the smell, taste, color, and even the idea of blood as food being revolting to most persons. Now, however, a German scientist, R. Droste, staff apothecary and food chemist in Hanover, comes forward with an ingenious method of using denatured blood, so to speak. By using hydrogen peroxide in mixing tpe “blood-bread” tlie sanguinary fluid is bleached, sterilized and deodorized. Moreover, the quantities of oxygen liberated when hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with organic matter form a highly effective means of aerating or “raising” the bread, making the use of yeast or baking powder unnecessary. Mr. Droste states that he has been using bread thus made in his own family for six years and finds it highly satisfactory. Blood is used in place of water in mixing up the dough. Then the peroxide is added. Besides the advantages „ mentioned above this powerful oxidizing agent kills destructive bacteria in the flour, such as the thread-spinning bacillus, etc. The decomposition products of the #H. O. are, of course, water and oxygen, both of which. are desirable constituents. Mr. Droste was led to the elaboration of making thia cheap, appetizing, and body-building form of bread originally by his investigations on the subject of catalytic decompositions. At first, he tells us, he used a thirty per cent solution of ordinary peroxide, but now he uses a special perhydrite. The blood is allowed to stand in the ice box for from 24 to 36 hours. The clots are then removed by draining or filtering. The remaining serum with its rich content of nitrogen and mineral salts is what is used to mix np the bread. It may also be used for all sorts of cakes, biscuit and fancy breads. The author urges its use in times of peace, as well as in the present time of war. While it is doubtful if the average bans frau will be enthusiastic about this substitute for milk and eggs—though in truth blood is the raw material from which both are made -—the idea should receive wide application in armies, public institutions, etc.—Scientific American.