Vinegar, artificial

The better vinegars are adulterated in a number of ways, artificial vinegar, mineral acid, etc., being added. Coloration with caramel or artificial organic dyes is not uncommon, while treatment with flavouring agents, such as pepper, cayenne and ginger is also practised. 

Acetic acid artificial vinegar dilute acetic acid. 

An artificial vinegar is made by mixing acetic acid with water and caramel, and acetic esters to produce the proper colour, odour, and taste. This vinegar differs from genuine kinds by the absence in the evaporated residue of phosphoric, tartaric, or malic acid. 

Distilled vinegar (made artificially from acetic acid), besides by the absence of the elements characteristic of wine and spirit vinegars, is characterised by the small proportions of extract and ash, by the high ratio of acidity to extract and, if the acetic acid used were not sufficiently pure, by the presence of pyrogenic impurities. 

The term "food additives" can make people nervous, because it seems to indicate that our food contains artificial, perhaps dangerous ingredients. The reality is that food additives have been used for centuries. For instance, people in olden times used salt as an additive to preserve meat and fish. They added herbs and spices to improve the flavor of some foods, fruit was preserved using sugar, and vegetables were pickled in vinegar so they could be eaten safely all year long. 

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