The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-05-11
Is Canned Food Wholesome {!


The wholesomeness of canned goods is a
subject of discussion Just now in some of our
exchanges. The New York Herald warns
people of the danger of poisoning from that
source. The He,a1ds theory is that the dan
ger arises from contact ofthe contents of the
can with the tin, with the solder, with the
muriate Of zinc used in soldering, and with
the rosin used in the same process The
Herald believes the consumers of canned
food to be in peril, and urges the enactment
of laws to secure the wholesomeness of such
foods.
The Havre lie Grace Republican in discussing
the question reaches the conclusion that both
experience and reason go to prove that
the danger OF poisoning from canned foods
is very small indeed. The American Grocer
also dsmisses the HerdFs treatment of the
subject az highly sensational
The Wilmington Eoe,y Eeening, in an arti-
Gle on the same subject, says:
The rosin used is canning is an entirely
harmless agent, though its presence in any
but very small quantities imparts n disagreed
for the careless Gamer whose goods were tainted
with ii n reputation that would either make
him more careful or drive him from his business
The murate ofzinc, though poisonous, is used in
so diluted n state and in quantities so infnites-
imal, being applied in weak solution by paint
brush to the cap of the can, that the danger
from it may be regarded as absolutely nothing
Concerning the danger of the formation of
poisonous salts by union of certain elements
in the preserved food with tin and solder there
is difference Of opinion.
In any case, however, there are many canned
foods that are exposed to no such danger. Corn
and meats OF oil kinds are probably as safe in
tin cans as in glass vessels, the only foods that
are likely to be injured by the formation of poi
sonous salts being fruits, tomatoes and others
containing more or less powerful acids. Here
again, the fact that the cans are Theoretically
sealed, and therefore not exposed to the de
structive action of atmospheric oxygen, reduces
the danger to a minimum, for the presence of
oxygen as an essential to the chemical reactions
that are supposed to produce these dangerous
salts.
The fact while this country has used in the
last three years more than 1870, 000, 900 cans of
tomatoes alone, and that in that time there has
been no well authenticated case of poisoning
from canned food, seems after all the best argu-
ment against this sensational scare. The army
and navy uses millions ofcans ofpreseryed food
and while men and officers are surfeited with
this sort of diet, there is no evidence of mortal
NY Ill elLueI lanu OF naval forces from poison
Gus food
1t may generally be taken for granted that can.
ned foods Of all kinds showing no signs of fer
mentation or decomposition are as wholesome
as otherforms ofhighly concentrated nutriment
Such foods however, should not be allowed to
stand in the can after the latter has once been
opened, for under those circumstances the con-
ditions are peculiarly favorably for dangerous
chemical reaction. No can of food showing the
slightest trace of fermentation should be eaten,
for this is generally evidence that the sealing
has not been perfect, and the presence of oXy-
gen may have resulted in deleterious combine
tous. The practice of some housewives of re-
cooking slightly fermented canned products is
to be discouraged If these precautions are OBJ
served, however, the danger of poisoning from
canned goods may be regarded as absolutely
naught
Every farmer who takes the proper de
gree ofntcrest in his calling should subscribe
for good agricultural journal The num-
Der ofthese publised is very large, but among
them all no one will afford more pleasure and
benefit than the old 1merican Farmer, pub
hshed at No. 1873 w. Baltimore street, Ball
more, by Samuel Sands & Son We can
safely recommend it to our farmers 1t is
published twice month, at 81 so year. -
4 L., L