The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-15
Sunday, July IS, 1905.
Protection for Food Consumers.

x RMED with copy Of bulletin No. SO, issued
IS BY p 2. Ladd, state chemist Of the experiment
station Of North Dakota housekeeper Of the flicker
tail state may go to market fully prepared to protect
herself from adulterated canned goods dairy prod
ucts, chocolates, olive oil syrups, honey, evaported
teresting document showing first the result Of food
tests by the department during the past four years.
It appears from this report that articles which ranged
In adulteration from 40 to 100 per in 1902 have
been brought down to conditions of purity ranging
from absolutely pure in the Of American canned
peas and canned tomatoes to from per cent for
canned corn to 81 per cent for French canned peas
The chemist explains that the showing is even bet
ter than appears from the table in the first
column for 1902 the figures indicate the results for
market, while in 1905 only those brands
amined which still suspected Of being aduterated
while those known to be free from any aduteration
not examined. He thinks this account the
percentage Of adulteraton should be reduced in most
more than so per cent in order to make fair
comparison. .<E. -..--= T. r.. .-..h
This is certainly very gratifying evidence of the
benefit derived by the people Of North Dakota from
the work of their experiment station Not only does
1t appear that the quality Of canned goods and other
prepared foods has been greatly improved but de-
cided change for the better has been brought about
in the matter Of weights It not uncommon when
these examinations began to find food products falling
from to 20 per cent short in weight pail Of lard,
for instance supposed to weigh three pounds found
to contain actually less than two and half pounds
indeed seldom more than this. Recent observations
show that full net weights in the market retail
ing at the price the previous short weights
and showing gain to the purchaser of 1s per cent.
Shortage in weight is now in direct violation of
state law and short weight goods to be declared
illegal.
1t is said that manufacturers guilty Of short
weights have maintained that there necessity
of complying with weight regulations because all
goods We're of uniform weight The chemist, however,
finds this not to be true He finds packages Of peas
varying all the way from 573 grams to 622, vary
ing from $50 to 629 and other articles showing similar
variations AS result Of the requirement that goods
be full weight the weight Of peas has been
raised since 1902 from 1914 grams to 707 and
pies fall below 697 The mean weight Of pack
ages has been raised from 5Ss to 500 grams. The
weight OF the package has remained the same show
ing gain in the net weight Of contents Of pack
ages OF lo4 grams, or more than 20 per cent. The
bulletin also gives lists Of goods with the Of
the manufacturers and advice to whether they
legal or not and if not with what they have been
aduterated.
Such results as to Improvement in quality as we'll
as in quantity to afford conclusive evidence
as to the value to the consuming public of North
ton Intelligent and honest inspection by state de-
partments supplementng the work Of the government
under the pure food law ought raise the stand
ard of American food products to such point that
they will command the markets of the world by rea-
son Of their quality and honest measurements.