Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-17
FOOD ADULTERATI0N
Dairy Commissioner Noble Discusses it in His ,g Annual Report.

Hartford, Feb 17.-To discussion of food adulterations and the efforts made to enforce the laws of the state against such harmful practices, is de voted the annual report of Dairy Con- missioner John B. Noble, which was presented to the governor to-day. Among other things the document de clares that there Is no colored oleo- margarine sOld>in Connecticut, that most dealers are complying with the law regarding the sale of renovated butter; that the labelling of many food products is misleading, and that while there is quite an improvement in the coffee on the market from what It was a few years ago, there is still consid- erable adulterated coffee sold. The re- port says In part:
 "The work of this department dur ing the year covered by this report has been, in the main, satisfactory and pro- ductiYe of good. results. Me have made thorough and systematic investi- gation all over the state and during the year the work has at no time been re- faxed. The manufacture and sale of oleomargarine in the United States has decreased very largely since the pass age of the so-called Grout bill In 1902, which requires tax of 10 cents on all colored oleomargartne and Y cent on all uncolored. There Is no colored oleo- margarine sold in Connecticut at the present time. The uncolored is used to some extent. This must be sold and used according to the provisions Of our law. which requires that signs be displayed in stores, bakeries. resfau- rants, hotels or wherever used or sold. We have made careful inspection of all places where 1t is used or supposed to be used, and always insist upon this provision of the law being carried out. we have fifteen licensed oleomar' garine dealers in the stnte. One is a large wholesale dealer. There has been a great deal of ingenuity displayed by oleomargarine manufacturers to cause their product to look like yellow but ter and still not he liable under the law. We have examined during the year over 1.JO0 grocery stores. and some of them two or three times. Tn this inspection we have examined all I0e nutleT SUM III oiutf tp rtt IT thNte was an oIeomargarine on the market and also to see if there was any reno
 vated butter. There is quite large quantity of renovated butter sold Most dealers are complying with the law which requires that the butter bs stamped. The correct labeling of al food stuffs is of the greatest impor
 tance. As very few people when pur
 chasing an extract look at the bottle
 we believe that it is right and just that the carton should he labeled cor
 retcly. Some of the fiavoring extracts
 have been found to he 90 deficient ir oil that they were of little strength
 Quite a number of the samples of tho above food products analyzed at tho experiment station have been found t'
 be badly adulterated. Aulterants used
 are cereal products. peas and chicory | One of the worst forms of violation ol
 our pure food laws Is the use of pre-
 servatiyes or antiseptics. We car
 readily see that 1t Is dangerous for any
 one to use these preservatives to an,
 great extent in their food. While VI
 have fin the past done quite a littl'
 work along these lines the growini
 use of these preservatives or the en l deavors to use them warrant our tak | ing more energetic measures than eve
 10 stop their use without labelling. Thi'
 will he one of the important parts o'
 our work during the coming year