The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-06-22
IMPURE FOOD IN NEW YORK.
Enough Destroyed Annually to Feed
5000 Persons.


hundred feet broad at the base and
three hundred feet high. In quantity
it would be sufficient to feed 5000
persons throughout the year, supply
ing them with meat, fish, game and
poultry, vegetables, groceries, all va.
rieties of fruit and confectionery.
There is a ceaseless vigilance in
New York to insure pure food for its
inhabitants. This does not mean that
thousands of tons of adulterated and
harmful foods are not eaten yearly
for the channels by which they may
reach the tables of rich and poor are
many, and the carelessness of house
keepers and cooks are responsible for
much. But at the gates of the city
where food is admitted by rail and by
water, at the wholesale markets, at
stores and among the push-cart ven
ders of edibles the inspectors of the
health department are always at
work. During the ripe-fruit season
they are most active and their work
is the heaviest. Their authority is
almost supreme, and they can order
the destruction of train load or a
ship load of fruit or vegetables, or a
hundred head of cattle infected with
disease, involving a loss to the own
ers of thousands of dollars.
In the last twelve months 7,172.347
pounds of food stuffs were cen
demned. seized and destroyed. Some
of this-especially fruit brought in
b" ships-went ont to sea and was
dumped in the briny deep. The en.
tire shipload was a loss through de-
layed voyage in hot weather caus ing
fermentation to set in among the per-
ishable cargo. Many a shipload Of
bananas have gone that way.
OF the more than 100000 pounds
of food destroyed in the last year,
d G39,090 pounds were fruit. Meat
came next-moro than million
pounds having been deemed unfit to
use. Vegetables were a close third.
771,100 pounds.
In addition to this. solid food, the
amount of milk destroyed in the year
has been $1,000 quarts. This seen
at once in all its bulk. is a lot of milk
1t is, however but "a spoonful" out
Of the great river of the liauid food
that pours into the metropolitan city
In a year 550,000,000 quarts of milk
are consumed in New York, 1.5OO. 900
quarts a day.
The effort to protect the city from
impure or innutritious milk has re-
suited through years of legislation
and careful Inspection in making the
dealers careful that the milk they
bring to the city meets the legal re-
qulrements. These requirements in
one way place a premium on poor milk
while guarding the city from milk that
Is unhealthy or entirely worthless.
The law calls for not less than per
cent of butter fats in all milk sold in
New York. This is not a high stand
aid, and many dealers avail them.
selves of the small percentage re-
qlired to reduce the nutritive quality
OF their milk to this low standard.
Many consumers of milk in New
York pay dearly for milk that is above
the legal standard of purity and nu-
tritiousness. 1t will surprise some
people to know that milk-not cream
is sold in this city as high as 80
cents quart A sworn statement ac.
companies this milk, as to it's freeness
from injurious qualities-bacteria
etc.-and as to its richness in butter
Fats. The cows from which this milk
Is taken are selected registered Dur
hams and Holsteins. The sanitary
arrangements for the care of the cat
tie and the milk are as perfect as ex.
penditure of money and scientific
Skill can make them. The milk is kept
and delivered at proper tempera-
ture.
MIX left uncovered in the living
room OF tenement house for a few
hours has been found to contain as
many as 5O,000,000 bacteria per cubic
c@ntimetre. The expensive milk
served by the expert dairymen NAV
contain less than 500 bacteria to the
centimetre. This milk is bought
chiefly for feeble and ailing children.
or the food condemned in this city
by the health department but a small
proportion is of adulterated food.
Less than hundred tons of groceries
and confectionery have been seized
in the last year because of harmful
adulteration.
In addition to this vast amount of
food condemned and destroyed by or,
der of the city's health department,
the people of New York are notori.
ously wasteful in the food they throw
away-the refuse from dining rooms
and kitchens that goes to the garbage
barrels. This adds some hundred
thousand tons to the condemned foods
that find their way, in the iron tanks
OF the garbage boats, to Barren Isl.
and. There this huge mass is tried
out" its oils extracted and it's fertil
izinS elements reduced to powder and
sold.
In the year 1904 half million tons
OF food stuffs from the kitchens of the
nj - a T.