Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-08-31
FOOD ApULTERATION.

The judgment of the best informed pro-
ducers of food, and those engaged in its
preparation for the market, is that the
growing demand for certain classes of goods
that are accompanied by presents, leads to
a great deal of adulteration that is dele
terious to health. The competition be-
tween brands Of canned case and package
| goods is SO sharp that at the very best
there is small margin of profit only.
| When to the package there is added a
premium of crystal ware, or of crockery,
cheap jewelry, and sometimes more sub
stantial and valuable articles, there is
nothing left for the manufacturer, and as a
result the temptation to send out inferior
goods through adulteration becomes too
strong to be resisted. OF course TO intro
duce an article a manufacturer may set
aside large sum to be given in presents,
and still preserve the integrity of his
wares But when he is ready to cease the
practice and to trust his product upon its
LuSIit, HS ulIuS OlHSIS III lHe utiu WIN
premiums for rival brands, and that a
large class of buyers turn from his tried
goods to those accompanied by the new
premium, and he feels compelled to con-
tinue the gift business also, and hence
adopts adulteration to save himself This
is said of the manufacturer or packer who
is honest in the first place. But there is
class that begins with adulteration and are
conscienceless from the outset.
The Pennsylvania Board of Health has
taken up the subject, and expresses posi-
tive alarm at the rapidity with which
food adulteration is increasing. 1t goes so
far as to say that the methods employed
are growing more and more reckless of
human life. 1t adds that the adultera-
tion of articles shipped from Europe to
this country for food are even more gross
than those chargeable to our own people
An exchange remarking upon this sub
ject says:
The laws of France are very strict, and are
quite thoroughly enforced against the aduitera-
tion of food, drugs, and wines designed for sale
in that country, but the scrutiny is relaxed as
against articles intended for export. The same
is true in other European countries, and as
consequence America gets the most yillainous
compounds as well as wholesale shipments of
criminals and psupers.
Mr.. Percy Smith, testifying before the
Pennsylvania Board of Health, said re-
Gently;
The demand of the consumer for gifts with
goods is growing rapidly, and the quality of the
food deteriorates in proportion 10 the value OF
the gift. If you buy $50 worth of spices and re-
ceive a $50 music box with the goods Won have
$50 worth of cracker meal and wheezy music
box. Whole spices can not be ground up and
sold for five cents or six cents per pound less
than the unground goods cost There is not
one per cent of the genuine article in the pep
per of certain Michigan manufacturer and
the way know it is this: put ten pounds of
the pepper 10 ten pounds of sausage meat and
experts were unable to discover the presence of
pepper in that meat. 1t is on record that pep
per Ia Michigan has been adulterated % per
cent
1t was in proof at the inquiry seton foot
by the Board that retired manufacturer
Of spices confessed recently that he had
long enjoyed run on a special grade of
black pepper which he thus made African
pepper, five pounds; black pepper, ten
pounds pulyerized water crackers, eighty
five pounds. While such an adulteration
is not harmful, the manufacturer who