Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-12
Report of the Chemists En-
ployed by Massachusetts Board
of Health Sensational
MANY THINGS CONDEMNED
Cans Labeled "Potted Tongue" Found
to Contain Not Tongue But Scraps
Including Parts OF the Aimentary
Canal and the Whole Product Soak
cd in Boric Acid.


meats sold in Massachusetts are to a
large extent fraudulenty prepared, ac-
cording to the report of chemists en-
ployed by the state board Of health.
Debris of the slaughter houses, skin,
scrap and corn meal are generally used
as substitute for the meat which the
cans purport to contain. Boric acid
and borax are employed as preserva-
tives.
In report made upon a careful an
alysis of the leading brands of canned
meats the state board of health adds
to the Indictment of the Chicago pack
ing houses and shows the superiority
of the product of local industries.
Its inspection of the slaughter houses
of the state condemns many of the
smaller ones, which are conducted
with no consideration of sanitary pre-
cautions. The larger plants it COM
mends, but the examination has dis
closed instances of a bad state of af-
fairs in the plants in some smaller
towns. THE killing of calves that are
much too young is general in the small
slaughter houses of the state, the
board of health reports, and conse-
quently a great amount of bob VEAL
is being sold
The inspectors report fayorably OF
the sausage factories of the state, stat
ing that most of them have modern
sanitary arrangements and the food il
prepared with commendable care.
But the feature of the report is the
result of the examination of the cam
ned products. DIR. Harrington, secre-
tary of the board, purchased in retail
establishments $50 cans, including
practically every brand for which there
is any demand. The contents were
tested for all foreign substances and
some interesting disclosures resulted.
For instance, cans labeled "potted
tongue" were found to contain epith-
lium. which is the layer of cells lin
ing the alimentary canal and all its
appendages. canals, ducts, etc.
Boric acid and other personalities
We're found in canned deviled ham, and
instead of muscular fiber pieces Of
scrap and debris are the chief ele-
ments
An examination of the contents Of
two specimen cans of boned chicken
put up by a Chicago house revealed
skin and pin feathers and the meat
was bad i'm color and appearance. In
nearly every case canned corned beef
was found to have been saturated with
borio acid
The chief substance of can of pot
ted OK tongue was not tongue at all,
but epidermis, which is the fine outer
skin, and corn meal. All the cans of
chicken loaf which the chemist of the
board of health purchased contained
a product which was not prepared ac-
cording to any of the standard rec
ipes In every case corn meal was used
literally and boric acid was also de-
tepted in one instance.
Corn Meal Used AbundantIy.
Corn meal is used abundantly in
nearly all of the potted meat products,
according to the health experts The
chemists point out that corn meal adds
nothing to the flavor. but is used be-
cause it is cheap and because it adj
mits of the use of additional water to
swell the product to fill the cans. In
many of the cans OF ham and tongue,
there We're disclosed instances of mus
cular fiber, fat, pieces of kidney and
debris of many varieties.
The investigation has shown that the
product of the Chicago packing houses
is greatly inferior to that of the local
plants. In nearly every instance where
the chemist characterized the contents
of a can as excellent in quality the
product is that OF a Massachusetts con-
Germ BY comparison all the examples
which the department has to criticise
are the output of western houses