The Grit-advocate., 1906-06-08

it must be noted. were in most cases
damp and soggy, in dark. ill-venti-
lated rooms, and the employees = ut
ter Ignorance of cleanliness or danger
to health eXnectorated at will upon
them In word, we saw meat shov-
e!ed from filthy wooden floors, piled
on tables rarely washed, pushed from
room to room in rotten boX-carts. in
all OF which processes it was in the
way of gathering dirt, splinters floor
NTH and the expectoration CT tuber-
culous and other diseased workers
Where comment was made TO floor
| superintendent about these matters.
1t was always the reply that this
meat would afterwards be cOoi;ed. and
that this sterilization would prevent
any danger from its use. Even this.
1t may be pointed out in passing. is
not wholly true. A very considerable
portion of the meat SO handled is sent
out as smoked products and in the
form of sausages. which are prepared
to be eaten without being cooked.
particularly Slaring instance of
uncleanliness was found in a room
where the best grade OF sausage was
being prepared for export 1t was
made from carefully selected meats.
and was being prepared to be eaten
uncooked. In this case the employe
carted the choppedup meat across a
room in barrow. the handles Of
which were filthy with grease. The
meat was then thrown out upon tables,
and the employe climbed upon the ta-
bic, handled the meat with his un-
washed hands. knelt with his dirty
apron and trousers in contact with the
meat he was spreading out, and, after
he had finished his operation. again
took hold of the dirty handles Of the
wheelbarrow. went back for another
load. and repeated this process in
definitely. Inquiry developed the fact
that there was no water in this room
at all. and the only method the man
adopted for cleaning his hands was to
rub them against his dirty apron or
! on his still filther trousers.
AS an extreme example of the entire
| disregard on the part of employees of
| any Hoiloll Vi cleanliness III ndlulllS
dressed meat, we saw hog that had
just been killed, cleaned. washed. and
started on its way to the cooling room
fall from the sliding rail to dirty
wooden floor and slide part way into
a filthy mems privy. 1t was picked
up by two employees. placed upon a
truck, carried into the cooling room
nth
! effort being made to clean it.
| Treatment of Meat After Inspection.
The radical defect in the present
system of inspection is that it does
not go far enough. 1t is confined at
| present by law to passing on the
healthfulness of animals at the time
of killing; but the meat that is used
in sausage and in the various forms
Of canned products and other pre-
pared meat foods goes through many
processes, in all of which there is pos
sibility of contamination through in
sanitary handling and further danger
| through the use Of chemicals. Dur
| ing all these processes of preparation
there is no government inspection and
| no assurance whatever that these
meat-food products are wholesome
and fit for food-despite the fact that
all these products, when sent out.
bear a label stating they have been
passed upon " government inspec-
tors.
AS to the investigation of the al
| legged use of dyes, preservatives. or
| chemicals in the preparation of cured
meats, saUsaaes. and canned goods we
are not yet prepared to report. We
| did lock into the matter of sanitary
| handling of the meats being prepared
| for the various food products. The
results Of our observations have al
| ready been partly given. Other in
| stances of how products may lie
| made up, and still secure the stamp of
government inspection are here
| given. In one well-Enown establish
ment We came upon fresh meat being
shoveled into barrels and regular
proportion being added of stale scraps
that had lain on a dirty floor in the
corner of a room for some days pre-.
vious. In another establishment.
equally well known. long table was
noted covered with several hundred
pounds Of cooked scraps Of beef and
| other meats. Some of these meat
! scraps were dry, leathery, ard unfit
| to be eaten; and in the heap were
found pieces of pigskin, and even
some bits Of rope strands and other
rubbish. Inquiry evoked the frank
admission from the man in charge
that this was to be ground up and
used in making ''potted ham"
All of these canned products bear
labels of which the following is a
sample:
| AEATTOR NO. -
! The contents of this package have been
inspected according to the act of
Congress of March 3. 1891
| QUALITY GUARANTEED.
| The phrase3logy of these labels is
wholly unwarranted. The government
inspectors pass only upon the health
| fulneSS of the animal at the time of