Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-05-24


GROUP OF BROWN CHINESE G
enacted in Massachusetts. Since that
time other States have enacted and
enforced food laws, until al The pres
ent time twenty-five States are seri-
ously attempting to regulate the char
acter and quality OF the foods sold in
their markets. In three additional
States laws relating 10 the purity OF
dairy products are enforced, and in
several others a beginning has been
made.
Food Regulation Abroad.
Food legislation has received much
attention abroad and the more adj
vanced foreign countries have effective
food laws and enforce them rigiily.
The subject of the purity of foods is
more widely studied in the United
States now than at any previous time
The people as whole are better in
formed on the subject than ever before,
and there is a constantly increasing
demand for definite information. In
response to a very large number of
inquiries regarding the matter the bull
letin Of the Bureau of Chemistry has
been prepared as a popular statement
regarding the nature and extent OF
food aduteration, and includes simple
tests by which the housekeeper or re
tail dealer may determine some OF
the more prevalent forms Of adultera-
ton practiced.
The demand for information on this
subject is now very general and. al
is often the case when public Interest
Is deeply aroused, there is an unfor
tunate tendency toward exaggeratior
which frequently amounts to sensa
tionalism. Such an attitude is OF
course to be deplored, and unless /. IL
checked must sooner or later Teac
unfavorably. II is not unusual <
speak OF some Of our typical foods al
poisoned, and Of the manufacturers a.
prisoners. Such characterizations ar,
frequently exaggerations 10 the poin
OF untruth. Deleterious substances
are In many cases added TO foods. A
the same time the word poison" has a
very strong and distinct significance
and should not be applied to any one
OF the substances ordinarily added {,
foods, except in the sense that they ar,
harmful. The word ''poisoner" signi
fes a person who Intentionally and de
hiDCi dSClJ al u LAL.D III
tended to result fatally, or at leas
very disastrously to health.
The jug Cling of Words.
During recent years there has beer
q tendency TO confuse the minds o
many by an incorrect use OF certain
words frequently used in the discussion
Of foods. 1t is the policy of some man
ufacturers to limit the word "adulter
ated" to foods TO which have beef
added substances OF lower value thai
the foods themselves with the inten
ton of increasing the weight or vol
ume. This Limitation is certainly no
justified by the English language no
by the facts, and such a restriction o
the term is entirely unwarranted. Tn
word "adulterated" properly describe
a food to which any noncondimenta
foreign substance, not properly con
stituting a portion Of the food, ha
been added. The fact that the adde
substance may be at times OF a create
commercial value than the food itsel
has no bearing on the question. Con
versely, the word pure" is properl
applicable to foods that are unmixe
with any foreign substance. 1t ma
be wholesome or unwholesome, bu
this property is not indicated by tn
word pure" or "adulterated." Thi
definition is not, of course, complete
The claim Is made by some manu-