The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-09
AMERICAN CANNED MEATS
And Their Nutritivc VaIuc-Cunclu
siOuS of Scientific EypcrtS,

shliS VI otltntiUC I.NltFtS.
WASHINGTON. Jan. Sin view of
the statements which have gained wide
circulation regarding the nutritive
value OF American canned meats. tend
ing TO injure foreign or domestic trade
in these goods. Secretary Wilson has
called upon the director of the Office
OF experiment stations for a statement
OF the conclusions Of scientific experts
on this matter. This statement Is as
follows:
The high nutritivc value Of American
canned meats has been established re-
peatcdly by thorough and impartial
tests conducted by scientific experts
Some years ago DR.. w. o. Atwater.
professor Of chemistry nj Wesleyan
university. AIiddletown. Conn. began
extended investigation OF the nutritive
value of foods. Later this work was
continued by the department Of agri-
culture with fuHdS appropriated by
congress for the purpose, the lnvesti-
cation being assigned to the Office OF
experiment stations and Professor 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
bulletins. Educational, philanthroplc
and other institutions throughout the
country have co-Operated In this work.
The food problem has been very care
fully studied In Europe. Koenig, Rub
ner. Etinger, Stutzer. Gautier Fass.
bender. SOlntZer and other eminent
authorities have made such investiga-
tions in France. Germany. Russia and
other European countries. The value
Of different foods for men engaged In
sssss sssIsa, !SsS ssS Il
and abroad has hSid itoStos with meats.
fresh and prcseryc,ii i tr5 y;,iS - -,
In u this depart,
lnent Professor AttysteK; Gays:
ut Is unfortunaee-EAss.the public at
large have so little Appreciation OF the.
nutritlvc value OF canned meats. They
are really cooked meats divestcd nfrthe.
inedible portions. bone, gristlc. cOrG
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 u pound of ordi-,
nary canned meat has. on the average
much more Nutrlment than ltnSEs2me
weight Of the fresh meat Fron1 which
1t Is prepared. The removal of the bone
and part of the water. while so little
nutrlmcnt is taken away. leaves the
meat In a less bulky and more concen-
trated form, SO that pound for pound
the canned meat has higher nutritlve
value than the fresh meat. In aSIsIge
number OF analyses Of fresh and, canncd
meats. collected at Chicago during the
worlds fair and other parts of the
country before and since that time, and
analyzcd under my direction. the pro-
portions of the nutritlve ingredients in
the canned meats have been found to
be larger than in the ordinary fresh
meats. This Is especially true of the
protein compounds. which are used by
the body to build up its heterogeneous
materials, as blood. muscle and bone.
Among the analyses referred to somo of
the largest proportions Of protein were
found in the boiled meats. Such pre-
pa:'ed meats. made OF good material
and properly canned or otherwise pre-
served. are worthy of the very high
esteem in which they have long been
hnld -