Food Adulteration and Its Detection With photomicrographic plates and a bibliographical appendix

"Food Adulteration and Its Detection" by Jesse P. Battershall is a non-fiction exposé from the 1800s on the widespread problem of dishonest practices in the food industry. The author shines a light on how common it was for food to be altered or corrupted, especially in the United States, and how this raised serious dangers to public health. He starts by explaining why food companies choose to deceive consumers, and he emphasizes the lack of understanding among the public. The core of the book provides a methodical look at different kinds of tampered-with foods, starting with tea, and it points out the need for solid, dependable ways to identify them, all in an effort to increase knowledge about this complex fraud.