The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-11
ENFORCING THE FOOD LAWS
STATE DAIRY DEPARTMENT
KEEPS ON THE ALERT

Jules A. Lawrence Tells About Some
of the Tricks Resorted to by
Manufacturer - Little Change
In the Butter Market During the
Last Week - Conditions Have a
Tendency to Depress the Market,
The state dairy and food department
is doing some effective work in securing
the enforcement of the recently enact
ed pure food laws in this state Last
week carload Of adulterated baking
powder, not bearing the required notice
The consignor, Chicago firm, saw to
It that the cans were properly labeled.
CO.: Of adulterated vinegar also
round Its way into the state and was
promptly seized by the department
The barrels were marked Cider Vine
gar" when in reality they contained
low wine Vinegar. No attempt was
nesota, but the owners shipped 1t out
of the state upon the advice Of the state
department.
Jules A. Lawrence, assistant dairy
commissioner, in discussing the opera
ticn of pure food legislation in Mime
sofa, said:
There never was time when the
pure food laws have been as effective
as at present. A we'll known spice man
Of this city told me some time ago
that the laws regulating the sale Of
consignments and baking powders had
been worth 100000 to the people of
Minnesota, In reducing their cost and
increasing the purchasing power of the
peoples dollar. The people do not dis
eliminate to any great extent against
the adulterated article, properly label
ed, as 1t Is much cheaper than the pure
package, but the laws have been very
effective in classifying the goods. Be-
fore the law went into effect the pub
lie paid just about twice as much as
they do now for an article which was
no better than that which is now
branded adulterated. OF course, there
Is better class of trade which never
buys anything but the best. but taken
in all there are just as many alum
baking powders sold now as there were
several years ago, only the people get
them q great deal cheaper.
There are ali sorts of tricks resort
ed to by the manufacturers of food
products. For instance adulterated
jellies have as a principal ingredient
glucose. mixed with a little sugar. Pep
per is fixed up with cracker dust,
is very easy for one to detect any
mineral adulteratio1 by placing the
contents of a can in a tunlbler Of water.
The adulterant parts will sink In the
water. OF course, cracker dust will not
do this. But this Is more of weaken
ing ingredient and is not at all injur-
ious.
Mustard Is adulterated with corn
meal and cornstarch. One Of the larg-
est foreign imported mustard manu-
facturer has, up to short time ago,
sold two grades Of mustard under the
same label, one with the aduterated
stamp and another as pure package.
just OF late they have taken all the
adulterated brand out Of this market.
'Allspice is very cheap and is seldom
adulterated. An inquiry came from the
stewards of one Of the insane hospi-
tails asking if the alum in adulterated
baking powder used In making bread
was not expelled through the heat of
the oven. We made experiments along
this line and found that the heat was
rot sufficient to expel all the alum, al
though small percentage was lost In
the process Of cooking.
. THE Minnesota Retail Grocers' as
ISOLATION, which met in Duluth during
the winter, is giving this department
its hearty cooperation in securing the
enforcement of the law. The retail
grocery men are greatly interested In
securing uniform grades on articles
handled, and the pure food law is help
ing to bring this about.
"The jobbers have assisted US great
ly in compelling the manufacturers to
comply with the law. We have been
compelled to resort to law on number
of occasions in order to more firmly
impress upon the minds of some I'M
principled vendors that the laws were
made to be obeyed. The great bulk
of the alum powders are manufactured
in Chicago, New York and other East
ern Cities There are, however, few
made in Minnesota and are of much
better quality than those shipped in
from other states"
The butter market has remained
within it's established range of the last
month, during the week just passed.
The logical conclusion at this time
would be that the market would have
a tendency downward, as large quanti-
ties have been dumped upon the local
market as result of the abundant
summer rains, which have produced
a wealth Of Minnesota clover and
grasses, which are rivaled by none
for their feeding qualities. The for
eign demand has also fallen off, as a
result Of the cheapness of Danish and
French butter, yet this is only tenn
porary, as it will not be very long I'M
til an exclusive trade in Western but
ter will be built up in the European
capitals.
Another fact which should depress
the market is the decreased local con-
sumption in the summer time. De-
spite thes facts, the market remains
firm at 1871 and 16 cents With the
North Star sales at the top notch, East
ern spectators vie with each other
for the large consignment of the cows
golden product, which are daily ship
ped to ST. Paul for market.
The small consignments received at
this market go to supply the local de-
mand, and the carlots, from well known
creameries, invariably go to appease
the foreign demand, represented
through Eastern brokers'
Oleomargarine seems to finding a
ready market in Klondike these days.
It is said that over half the stuff ship
ned as butter is none other than the