Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-09

Washington, D. c., January Sin
view of the statements which have
gained wide circulation regarding the
nutritive value of American canned
meats, tending to injure foreign or do
nestle trade in these goods, Secretary
Wilson has called upon the director of
the Office of experiment stations for a
statement of the conclusions of scien-
tific experts on this matter. This state
ment is as follows:
The high nutritive value of Ameri-
can canned meats has been established
repeatedly by thorough and impartial
tests condusted by scientific experts.
Some years ago, DR.. W. O. Atwater,
professor of chemistry at Wesleyan
University, Mddletown, Conn, began
extended investigation OF the nutritive
value of foods. Later this work was
continued by the Department of Agri
culture with funds appropriated by
Congress for the purpose. the investi
cation being assigned to the Office of
experiment stations, and Prof At
waters services secured as special
agent in charge. These Investigations
are still in progress and large amount
OF information has been secured and the
results published in the form of bulle-
tins. Educational, philanthropic and
other institutions throughout the coun-
try have co-operated in this work.
The food problem has been very
carefully studied in Europe Koenig,
Rubner, Etinger, Stutzer, Gautier, Fass-
bender, Solntzer and other eminent
authorities have made such investiga-
tons in France, Germany, Russia and
other European countries. The value
of different foods for men engaged in
ordinary occupations, for soldiers in
times of peace and war and persons in
various other conditions of life has
been studied. A part of these investi-
cations in America and abroad has
had to do with meats, fresh and pre-
served.
In a communication to this depart
ment, Prof. Atwater says:
at is unfortunate that the public
at large have so little appreciation of
the nutritive value of canned meats.
They are really cooked meats Invested
of the inedibIe portions, bone, gristle,
etc., which are found in fresh meats.
In the cooking and canning, which is
of the nature of boiling rather than
roasting, water is expelled, but the
amount of nutritive material removed
is very small indeed, so that pound
of ordinary canned meat, has, on the
average, much more nutriment than the
same weight of the fresh meat from
which it is prepared. The removal of
the bone and part of the water, while
so little nutriment is taken away,
leaves the meat in less bulky and
more concentrated form, so that pound
for pound the canned meat has high
err nutritive value than the fresh meat.
In large number of analysis of fresh
and canned meats, collected at Chicago
during the Worlds Fair and other parts
of the country before and since that
time, and analysed under my direction.
the proportions Of the nutritive ingre-
dents in the canned meats have been
found to be larger than in the ordi-
nary fresh meats, This is especially
true of the protein compounds, which
are used by the body to build up It's
heterogeneous materials. as blood, mus
Gle and bone. Among the analyses re-
ferred to some of the largest proper
tons of protein were found in the boil
ed meats. Such prepared meats. made
Of good material and properly canned
or otherwise preserved, are worthy Of
the very high esteem in which they
have long been held"