The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-02-26
ADULTeRATloN.

AOOLtLNAiloN'
The laws of this Territory for the
maintenance OF high standard of food
and drugs are unusually complete, but
they may be susceptible of some
amendment and additions. Act "a Of
1898. Ito provide against the adultera-
ton of food and drugs" which required
the food commissioner TO report MONTH
ly to the president of the Board of
Health. was broad and fun in its def
nitions and HI the powers IT conferred.
IL was revised and enlarged and the
original law repealed, by Act so of 1909,
which covers instances of manufacture
as we'll as sale, and, i'm cases of sus-
pected articles, allows the Food Com
missioner to act promptly, without the
obstruction of a previous application 20
the Board of Health. In the prepare
ton of these laws, much scientific
knowledge and practical appreciation
of their Importance to the public were
evinced.
Now Congress proposes 10 come to
the assistance of the States and Terri
tories by a very drastic statute which,
it is believed, may be passed and ap-
proved during the present session, and
which reads as If 1t had been to some
extent based upon Hawaiian legisla-
ton. The proposed law is severe in the
penalties 1t imposes and, in this respect
is worthy of consideration. The most
profitable suggestions it contains, how
ever, are in the enumeration of the va
rous forms of adulteration, which Is
broader and perhaps more searching
in some particulars than our present
law, as the following extracts will
show:
Articles of food are to be considered
adulterated if any substance has been
mixed or packed with it so as to reduce
or lower or injuriously affect its quality
or strength, so that such product when
offered for sale. shall deceive the pur-
chaser. They will also be considered
as adulterated if any substance has
been substituted wholly, or in part, for
the article, or If any valuable constitu-
ent has been distracted, or If they con-
tain poisonous ingredients or any in
gredient which may render such arti-
cles injurious to the health of persons
consuming them.
Articles of food are to be considered
misbranded if they be an imitation of
the distinctive name of another article.
if mixed colored, powdered, or stained
in any manner by which the damage or
inferiority is concealed, so that such
product, when sold, will deceive the
purchaser; if labeled or branded with
intent to deceive the purchaser, or if it
purports to be a foreign product when
not so, or is an imitation either in pack
ing or label, of another substance of Il
previously established name, or which
has been trademarked or patented.
Drugs shall be deemed adulterated II
they differ from the regular standard
of strength, or if their purity or
strength fail below the standard under
which they are sold. Drugs are to be
considered misbranded II they be AN
imitation of or are offered for sale un-
der the name of another article, or if
the package containing the drug bear
any false or misleading statement
The stress of the proposed Act of
Congress, it will be seen, is laid upon
the point of successful deception of
purchasers, which is a far-reaching
proposition that deserves local endorse
ment The subject itself is of the ut
most importance to the health of the
community Not only should injurious
authorizations be attacked however but
impositions in the sale of articles of
food that in themselves are not nee
essarily injurious should be prevented
by penal consequences. Cooperation be
tween Federal and Territorial authori-
ties cannot fail to raise the standard of
marketable articles and to minimize the
evil results of the insidious adultera-
tons that have been so common of late
years.