Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-03-15
Minnesota Dairy and Food Com.
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tion to the public from time to time,
CONCERNING lood products, aud our
state laws governing them, we shall
at different times submit briet syn.
opsis Of our work, and endeavor to
place heiore the public Information
which might be OF material value.
A complete report OF the work OF the
department, including reports Of oil
analyses made, salaries paid, expenses
incurred, etc., IL published biennislly,
and 10 submitted to the state legisla"
ture, - required by law. A copy OF
this report 10 mailed to al who re-
quest it, but the great majority OF our
people do not even sec copy Of this
report. Thus they lose much OF the
benefit which the work of this depart
ment might accomplish for them were
they to obtain information OF our ind
ings.
1t will be impossible for US to make
report OF each analysis made in our
laboratory, and at the same time fur
Dish readable articles. We do not
wish to burden the readers of this
bulletin with mass OF figures which
the average person would not care to
study. Our plan 10 rather to furnish
Information In such Z form that 1t
may be instructive and practical.
We shall from time to time publish
reports OF analysis OF samples and
supplement these with explanatory
readers, which we hope may be Of
benefit to those who desire to become
better informed In regard to our pure
food laws, and the quality OF products
being placed upon the market.
The intent OF our pure food laws 10
included In the following two short
i paragraphs:
First-To prevent the manufacture
or sale of any food product deleteri-
Gus to health.
| Second-To let the people know
what they are buying, and that they
are really getting what they pay for.
The work of the department 10 more
concerned with the latter than the
former, not because it ts OF more con.
sequence because the health of the
people IL OF the most Importance blu,
because there are few d>4:ers who care
to run the risk Of putting goods on the
market which contain Ingredients in.
furious to health.
The man or firm who would attempt
to sell an article 40 Z substitute or
compound for the pure product, and
the man or firm who neglects to follow
out the labelling provisions of the
various laws, are the ones which &C.
cupy the attention of the department.
During the past week We have az.
alyzed 1852 samples OF various kinds
of food products. OF these 81 were
classed a. 'illegal" and the remand
or az "legal' Out of these 81 illega1
samples only 10 were found to contain
Ingredients in any degree Injurious tt
health, the remaining ''illega,s" BE-
) ing classed % such because OF I'm
: proper labelling. ~
A few years ego many OF the manu-
tacturers of food products did no
hesitate to place upon the market ar
ticles which were Injurious to the pub
lie health ~ long ~ they could maxi
money for themselves by doing 20
Since the strict enforcement OF ou1
food laws has been carried out by tn
department this practice has been al
. most wholly done away with.
8 About two years ago the department
found several samples Of f3avoring OK
tracts on sale In the state which con
. tanned wood alcohol. A crusade VA
inaugurated against these goods IN.
they we're practically run of the mar
lret. One big Chicago finn in endeav
;. orine 20 excuse their action in offer
:. ing theee goods for sale in Minueso:,
clsimed that they we're manufacturer
. for the negro trade in tho South sn'
that they had reached Minnesota b!
mistake In shipping. Tho action o
wood alcohol on the human system i
to produce blindness, and these I'm
scrupulous manufacturers were will
Ing, for the profit there wss IN th
. business, to foist upon the igooran
7 element of the Sou:h . poison mos
3 deadly in It's nature. Prosecution o
even persecution 10 too good for sue
oeople-hangipg would better at tb
crime.-Fr0m Bulletin No. l.