New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-08-12
AFTER ADULTERATED FOODS
Coloring Matter Barred From Use
by Budd Food Law.
Mcconnell Gets Busy on Other
Articles Than Meats.
Law is Being Violated by Many
Merchants Through ignorance.

u
| making thorough canvas of the state
on the meat and pure food inspection,
and he has found that the law is being
violated regardless of results. His
recent visit to this city was not with
out its results and at the present time
be. is engaged in the case at Bergen
where two children have died from the
effects Of cured meats that were eaten.
It is thus proven that this department
of the state is not without its value to
the public.
| Mr.. Mcconnell has recently made a
ruling under the new law that will be
of interest to the readers of the
Review. It is under the Budd pure
food law passed by the recent legisla-
ture, giving jobbers and retailers of
catsup containing coloring matter and
preservatives other than benzoate of
soda until July l, 1904, to get rid of
their products. After that date catsup
must be absolutely free from all kinds
of coloring matter, and must not con-
tain any other preservative than ben
zoate of soda.
Mr.. McConnell's ruling, addressed
to jobbers and retailers, is as follows:
sowing to the fact that the season
when you will place your orders for
catsup is fast appro aching, and to re-
ply to the many inquiries now being
received, this department deems it
proper to advise you that it will pass
all catsups now in the hands Of job
bers and retailers in this state which
do not contain any deleterious or
harmful ingredient from this date until
July l, 1904 :.-.%s.
eve earnestly request that all cat
sups of this years manufacture, placed
upon the market, bear upon the label
the figures 1908. These goods shall be
free from coloring matter, but until it
may be established that benzoate of
soda is harmful limited quantity
mot exceeding one part in twelve hun
dred parts will be permitted. If at
any time this may be proved harmful,
then we reserve the ri ght to withdraw
permission of it's use. ~
''Please to fully understand that the
use of no other preservative other
than benzoate of soda will be permit
ted, and that only under the conditions
and restrictions herein stated"
The ruling is one of the most impor-
tant ever made by a. Minnesota com
missioner. It is made on the princi-
pie that the state has a right to pre-
vent the use of coloring matters, pow
ders and filters, even though it may
not be detrimental to health.
Manuf acturers maintain that the
coloring matter is used merely to give
the catsup the bright color people
have come to expect catsup to have,
and that the coloring matter is abso-
lutely harmless. 1t is used, they say,
only to improve the appearance of the
product. ~. -. 49,.
The present ruling refers only to
catsup and was made at this time in
response to inquiries from catsup
manufacturers asking whether preserv-
atives could be used under the new
law WI dill dCUuI0IS UldG IL
is impossible to manufacture catsup
without preservatives. Some said that
they should be allowed to use at least
l part preservative to every 400 parts
Of tomato. Mr.. Mcconnell decided,
on making Investigations, to allow the
use of benZoate of soda, which, he
says, is the mildest preserv ative
known, in the ratio of / to 1900 parts.
Mr.. Mcconnell decided to give deal
ers ten months to close out their pro-
ducts in order not to make the law a
severe hardship. Catsup is often col
ored with coal tar dyes, known also
as ''analyne dyes" These dyes can
be secured in 700 colors. A few drops
are sufficient to color barrels of cat
| sup. Salicylic acid and borax also
are used sometimes and are ruled out
by this law.
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