The Washington times., 1906-06-04

VeaCh the cooling room are handled in
fairly sanitary and cleanly manner.
The parts that leave the cooling room
Tor treatment in bulk are also handled
with regard to cleanliness, but the parts
that are sent from the cooling room
10 those departments of the packing
houses in which various forms Of meat
products are prepared a.e handled with
no regard whatever for cleanliness. In
some of the largest esta Dlishments sides
that are sent TO what is known as the
boning room are thrown in heap upon
the floor. The workers climb over these
heaps of meat, select the pieces they
wish' and frequently throw them down
upon the dirty floor beside their work.
ing bench Even in cutting the meat
upon the bench the work is usually held
pressed against their aprons. and these
aprons were, as rule, indescribably
nIthy- They were made in most cases
OF leather or of rough sacking and bore
long accumulated grease and dirt. In
only a few places were suitable oil
We're seen 10 climb from the floor and
stand, with shoes dirty with the refuse
Of the floors. on the tables upon which
the meat was handled. They were seen
at the lunch hour sitting on the tables
or the spot on which the meat prod
u;t was handled. and ali this under the
very eye of the superintendent OF the
room. showing that this was the COM
mon practice
Meat scraps were also found being
shoveled into receptacles from dirty
floors. where they were left 10 lie until
again shoYeled into barrels or into ma
chimes for chopping. These floors, II
must be noted, were In most cases damp
and soggy, in dark. ill-ventilated rooms.
nrunlnNnE %
cleanliness or danger TO health. eXpeCtO-
rat ID at Will upon them. In a word.
we saw meat shoveled from filthy wood
en- hoorS, piled on tables rarely washed,
pushed from room 10 room In rotten
box carts. in all OF which processes II
was In the way of gathering dirt. splin-
ters, floor Nth, and the eXpeCtOratiOn OF
tuberculous and other diseased workers.
Where comment was made TO floor SUP
erintendents about these matters. IL was
always the reply that this meet would
afterward be cooked. and that this ster-
llizauOn would prevent any danger from
Its use. Even this. IL may be- pointed
out in passing. is not wholly ,-ue. 4
Nerf considerable portion Of the mea
so handled is sent out as smo1ed prod
ucis. and in the form of sausaces. which
are prepared 10 be eaten without being
cooked
A particularly glaring instance OF un-
cleanliness was found IN room where
the best grade Of sausage was being
prepared for export. II was made from
prepared 70 be eaten uncOoked. In this
case the employe carted thc chopped
meat across room IN a barrow. the
handles of which were filthy with
grease. The meat was then thrown out
upon tables, and the empiOye climbed
upon the table, handled the meat with
his unWashed hands. kneIt with his
dirty apron and trousers in contact with
the meat he was spreading out. and
after he had finished his operation
( aGitln took hold Of the dirty handles of
tha Wheelbarrow, went back for an
otler 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
I his still filthier trousers
AS an extreme example Of the entire
/ disregard on the part OF employees .,f
any notion Of cleanliness in handling
dressed meat, we saw a hog that had
just been killed. cleaned. washed and
started on its way TO the cooling room
ran from the sliding rail to a dirty
| wooden floor and slide part way into a
ihtnE men prlYy. II was picked up
, by two employees, placed upon a truck
carried into the cooling room. and hung
UP with otJseT carCasses. no effort being
made 70 clean it
Treatment Of Meat After InspcctIOl-
Inc radical defect in the present sys-
tenn OF Inspection is that Il does nof 60
FAR enough. II IS confined al present ~
law 10 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 prepared meat foods goes through,
many processes, in all OF which there is
possibility Of contamination through in
sanitary handling, and further danger
through the use Of chemicals During all
theSe processes of preparation there Is
no Government inspection and no as
suTaRCe whatever that these meat-food
products are wholesome and fI for food
despite the fact that all these products.
when sont out, bear a label stating they
: nave been passed upon by Government
( inspectors.
AS TO the investigation Of the alleged
use OF dyes preSerTdtiyes or chemicals
4 In the preparation OF cured meats, sau-
sages. and canned goods we are not vet
matter of sanitary handling Of the meats
! icing prepared for the various food
products
/ The results Of our observations have
: already been partly given. Other in
stances OF how products may be made
/ up. and still secure the stamp Of Govern
ment inspection are here given. In one
well-knOwn establishment 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
/ ment equally well known. a long table
was noted covered with several pounds
/ of cooked scraps Of beef and other
meats. Some Of these meat scraps were
/ dry. leathery, and unfit to be eaten. and
/ IN the heap were found pieces Of Digskin
! and even some bits OF rope strands and
/ other rubbish. Inquiry evoked the frank
admission from the man in charge that
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