Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-21
GUARDING THE NATIONS FooD.
Systematic Efforts 60 Prevent Decep-
tIon and AduIterstion.

ton and Ad~ulterRtton.
Philadelphia Ledger.
The $4,000 appropriated by congress at
the last session for scientific Investigation
Of the foreign substances added TO the
food products OF the country promise to
prove of value in determining which are
deleterious and which harmless among the
many personalities, adulterants and color
ing substances widely used in food prepa-
rations. The canned, preserved and pre-.
pared food business has reached enormous
proportions at present, and a great va
riety OF chemicals and other substances
are used in these food products. Some OF
the foreign substances are harmless and
some are pernicious. The United States
bureau Of animal industry will now under
take a systematic Investigation Of the
properties OF the manufactured and pre-
served foods" Not only will chemical ex-
animation be made OF the foods, but ex-
perlmeuts will be made designed to deter
mine the effects Of the several foods con-
tanning preservatives and c%olorlng matter
upon the consumer, An effort will be made
to establish a training table" at an edu-
cational institution convenient to Wash
ington, and those student volunteers who
cooperate in the experiments will for a
stated time take no food but tina fur
nished by the physiological chemists in
charge Of the Investigations. When the
subjects get in a good normal condition
from the use OF ordinary wholesome food,
a food containing one Of the commonest
personalities, boric acid, for instance,
will be used and the effects noted. other
personalities and also ~coloring substances
will be used, and the experiments will be
continued until enough observations have
been made to Justify differences and con-
illusions. The experiments will be made
on animals and human beings, and DR.. W.
H. Wiley, chief chemist Of the bureau
which will have charge OF the investiga-
lions, says:
ITO know whether these substances are
injurious or not is of the highest conss-
quence, not only from the economic point
Of view in the manufacture OF these prod
ucts. but also from the hygienic point OF
view-their exact effect upon the con-
sumner is most important.
Heretofore, unfortunately. most Of the
investigation which has been undertaken
in this direction has been at the instance
of the manufacturer or other interested
parties, so that the natural bias peculiar
to the human mind has had to be taken
into consideration in accepting the result.
Through the liberality Of congress
chemistry has for the first time been en-
abled to take up the study Of this subject
In a thorough and systematic manner, and
will be enabled to supplement the investi-
cations which have heretofore been made
upon the subject Of food adulteration. The
results which will finally be- obtained will
be useful to our lawmakers, who will be
able to form the statutes so as to secure
the necessary precautions in the preserva-
tion of foods, while at the same time they
will exclude positively Injurious sub
stances"
DR.. Wiley thinks the investigation will
give an impetus to pure food legislation,
but even If congress n~eglects to pass pure
food laws, the published results Of the ex-
periments undertaken. II the conclusions
meet with scientific approval, should be
the means OF checking harmful adultera-
tions and Of putting the public on guard.