The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-03-02
FOODS.
Senate Committee Makes q Report
After Investigating the Matter.
The Sale Of DeIeteriOus and I'm
healthy Food VIII Be Prohibited,
and Those Cheapened BY Adult
teratiOn Must BE So Marked.

washington, March 1.-The senate
committee on manufactures submit
ted to the senate a report on the ex-
tenslve investigation it has conducted
into allegations that many important
articles of food and drink are adulter-
ated so as to be either a serious det-
rlment to the public health or, where
the adulterant is not injurious to
health, fraud on the purchaser. Ac-
companying the report is a great mass
Of testimony taken in the leading
cities of the country. The report says
the Importance of the investigation
made and the legislation proposed can
not be too strongly emphasized. 1t
adds:
The adulteratiOn of prepared or
manufactured foods is very extensive
~ practiced, and in many cases to the
great discredit of our manufacturers.
it is only fair to say, however, that a
large proportion of the American
manufacturers who are engaged in
adulterating food products do so in
order to meet competition, and it Is
the expression Of those gentlemen tc
say, We would be glau TO get out Of
the business Of adulterating. We
would like to quit putting this stuff in
coffee, and would be willing to brand
our syrups for what they are, but our
competitors get a trade advantage
which we can not surrender
1T is the purpose of this committee
to adopt this uniform rule: To pro-
hibit the sale of deleterious and I'M
healthy food products, and as to those
food products which are simply cheap
ened by adulterants, to compel the
marking OF those goods for what they
are. Deleterious food products should
be prohibited and the rest thoroughly
regulated.
There have been two general ways
suggested as to the matter of regu-
lation. First, to put the important
food products under the internal rev
enue law, as we have in the case of
butter, filled cheese, and, at the last
congress, -four. The pure flour bill
has absolutely prohibited the sale of
adulterated -four, which was found to
be in many cases dangerous to public
health, and has increased the sale of
American -four probably % per cent.
in other countries. If the rule estab-
lished by this committee can be car
ried out as to cur other food products,
we viii not only protect the consUm-
er and the honest manufacturer who
is willing to sell his goods for what
they are, but we viii also establish a
reputation for our food products
which viii assist US to find a ready
market for them in other countries.
THE other plan to regulate the food
products is contained in senate bill
2z26, which establishes a department
under the secretary of agriculture and
provides for the establishment of
board which shall fix the standards
for foods, drinks and for drugs, based
on the American pharmacOpeia. The
strong argument against this plan is
the fact that it would be cumbersome
10 take all the small articles of food
products that are now adulterated,
and allow their sophisticatiOn or adul-
iteration, for the purpose of cheaper
ing, and require a stamp upon each of
the small packages offered for sale.