The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-05
MATTER OF IMPURE FOODS
PROGRESS OF THE SENITORI4 l.
COMMITTEE'S INVESTIGATION.
Many AduIterated Articles Imported to
America That Cannot be sold In the
Countries Where They Are Made-The
Establishment of National Food Law
DIR. Wiley Again Testifies.

Chicago, May 4.-One Of the most i'm
portant objects sought by the senato-
rial pure food investigation committee
at it's second session here to-day was
the formulation of legislation not only
for the protection of the public against
adulterated foods manufactured in this
imported The first witness was Giles
Lewis, a druggist of this city, who
stated that while other countries had
laws which prevented the selling of
adulterated goods in their own coun-
tries no provisions were made against
exporting them to foreign countries
He said the United States received ar
ticles of food made in Germany and
France that would not be used in the
country where they were made because
of the preservatives used Mr.. Lewis
was called before the committee for the
purpose of making. suggestions for the
establishment of a national food law.
Most of the morning session was taken
up in hearing his testimony and aside
from continuance of the list of ar
ticles which are adulterated given by
DIR. Wiley, chief government chemist of
the agricultural department, no other
witnesses were examined. Mr.. Lewis
advocated the passage of national
pure food law and the appointment of
permanent commission, the duty of
which would be to prevent the market
ing of any article of food or drink, do
mestic or imported, that was misrepre-
sented. The limit of adulteration, he
declared, should be governed by the
commission, and the commission should
analyze articles and certify to their
purity by government stamp.
DR.. Wiley chief chemist of the agri-
cultural department, gave further in
formation to the commission regarding
the articles sold In this conutry which
were adulterated. Among practices
that were fraudulent, yet not injurious
to the health, he mentioned the sale of
fish of cheap variety and grade for more
expensive kinds, especially fish packed
in oil. 1t also was common custom,
lIl' WiiNy nolos IOl uColClo " Sldlllp
packages with foreign stamps and thus
deceive the public into believing that
1T was buying imported goods. The
sale of turtles in restaurants for terra
pin was also a common means of Ge-
frauding the public. Famous wines
and other drinks of foreign countries
were on sale in American markets that
never saw the color Of the ocean," The
witness said that adulterations of food
and drink which were injurious to the
public health could be classed in two
groups-coloring and preserving. The
methods of coloring green vegetables
were spoken of in detail The matter
which was used mainly in restoring the
natural color of green peas, the witness
declared. was sometimes salts of zinc
and sometimes salts of copper, either of
which We're poisonous and the use of |
which should not be permitted. Prob
ably the most common chemical used |
as preservatve, DR.. Wiley said, was
salicylic acid which was made to a |
great extent from carbolic acid. 1t |
should not be permitted, he stated, be- |
cause it was very bad for the health, |
to those who had weak stom-
achs. He ended his testimony by say
ing that no food offered for sale which
contained preservatives was fit to eat.