Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-28
CARE OF F0ODSTUFFS
HEALTH OFFICE ACTS ON BOARD
OF TRADE SUGGESTION.
Proposed Amendments to Regulations
Guarding Against Infection and
for Other Purposes.

Acting on suggestions made in recent
letter from the Washington Board of Trade,
Health Officer Woodward yesterday after
noon submitted to the Commissioners an
opinion relative to the danger of infection
; from the exposure of foodstufYs on the
streets. In the same communication he
presented a proposed series OF amendments
to the regulations and the advisabiiity of
adopting these into the code Ia now being
considered. The health officers letter and
the newly prepared regulations follow:
Referring to the letter of the Washing
ton Board of Trade of January % last, sub
hitting copy of resolution adopted by
that organization. inviting the attention of
the Commissioners to the risk Of infection
incurred by the open exposure for sale of
candy and food products on the streets. TO
be eaten without cooking or other prepara-
ton, and suggesting that proper legislation
be secured to govern the matter, beg to
state that the risk of infection from this
source is, In my judgment. slight. although
1t must be admitted that infection in this
way is possible.
Risk of Infection Slight.
THE risk of infection through the chan
mel named is probably less than the risk
OF infection through the use of old paper
Tor the wrapping Of such food materials.
ana fs certainly less than is the risk of
infection through the use of imperfectly
washed spoons. glasses and similar articles
such as are commonly used in connection
with soda fountains, dairy lunch rooms and
free-lunch counters. and such as are used
by vendors of ice cream on the public
streets
Any such glass. spoon or other article
aLter having been in contact with the mouth
or user practically should be dlsnfected
by the use of boiling water before being
used again, and the least that can be asked
is that they be thoroughly washed in clean
water, hot or cold, and not in such dirty
liquids as are occasionally used for that
purpose. And as Objectionable in some
ways as are any of the conditions above
named is the exposure of vegetables and
fruits on the ground in a manner such as to
| lead to their pollution by stray dogs.
PRONUNCIATION of Regulations.
The PRONUNCIATION of a regulation along
| the lines suggested by the Board of Trade
Is, therefore, 1t seems to me, logically to
be accompanied by the PRONUNCIATION Of
regulations to meet the other conditions
referred to above. To that end 1 submit
the draft of proposed sections of
ordinance to prevent the sale OF unwhole
some food in the cities of Washington and
Georgetown as amended by the Commits
sioners' orders of January ., 1902, and April
81, 1903, follows:
Sec. 6c.-No person shall expose for
sale on any public highway or in any open
market. stand or stall in the District OF
Columbia, candy, cake or bread. dates or
figs, or any other food OF kind not or
dinarily cooked, peeled or washed before
being eaten. unless such candy, cake. bread,
dates figs or other article of food is eff
fectually wrapped or covered and inclosed.
so as to protect II from dust and insects.
Sec Sd No person selling candy, cake,
bread dates, figs, butter or other article OF
food of a kind not ordinarily cooked, peeled
or washed before being eaten, shall wrap or
cover the same with newspaper or with
any other paper previously used for any
other purpose.
Caring for Food on Sale.
Sec. &c. No person shah expose any ar
ticle of food for sale on any public high
way in the District of Columbia within
+r,op+v-four inches from fine surface of the