Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-06-06
70 Change pure Food Policy.

IL. r. Wright that beginning with June
l new policy will be followed by
his department and prosecutions for
violation of the pure food law will be
undertaken wherever possible and
proper" the commission having come
to the conclusion that 1.-The only way
by which law Of this character can
be actually and fully enforced Is by
prosecutions alike Of the careless and
the guilty."
Up TO this time the commissioner
has displayed much leniency. The
retailer In many cases is helpless be.
cause he Is necessarily ignorant OF
the ingredients of the foods he sells
and II has been deemed unfair to
make numerous prosecutions of peo.
pie who were doing all In their power
to get their goods into conformity
with the law. This leniency, II so 1t
may be called, In few cases has
been abused by It's benehciaries.
Hereafter they will have to watch
out.
Announcement of his change In
policy has been made by the COM
missioner In a bulletin just issued.
He includes In the pamphlet many
rulings along the line of which will be
the prosecutions inaugurated by the
commission
The Iowa pure food law really goes
into effect July OF this year. Section
Ia of the law provides that goods
purchased or received by either whole.
sale or retail dealers Of this state
nj 10 Ip1. A 10 mt
from the provisions OF this act to
July !, 1907" This section has been
amended so rs to extend the exemp.
ton upon canned corn only, $50 pur-
chased or received" until Jan /, 1908.
Commissioners Wright, In his bull.
letin, urges retailers to use every ef'
fort to rid themselves of such goods
as are exempt before the dates men.
toned. Heretofore II may have been
difficult to determine what goods
were bought before and after July |.
1906. Hereafter everything but corn
will he subject to every provision OF
the law. Mr.. Wright Is very direct
In his recommendation on this sub
ject. He Will say.
"Jobbers and wholesalers will con-
suit their interests by assisting,
through their travelling men, In get.
ting old goods OFF the shelves OF the
retailers or labeled to conform to
the law Attention Is called to the
fact that there Is and has been no
exemption upon goods sent In from
outside the state, and the retailer IL
subject to prosecution IL the goods do
not comply with the law. A few
goods have come into the state since
the law has been in force which have
not been properly labeled. BY looking
over the goods on the shelves, with
the information given In this bulletin,
any Irregularities OF this kind will be
easily detected. II Is highly import.
ant that exempt" goods should be
cleared away before the expiration of
the exemption, because after that time
arrives this department will have no
choice but to enforce the penalties
against the holder of goods not 10 &C
cordance with the statute"
Commissioner Wright has decided
that the consumer of food must know
what 1t contains. Labels by jobbers
to retailers are not enough. Retailers
must label the goods when delivered
to the last purchaser.
Up to July 4, 1907. labels may
merely state the ingredients as This
syrup Is composed OF the following
ingredients and none other: Maple
syrup; cane syrup" After July the
label must give the percentage OF each
ingredient, as Maple syrup 40 per
cent; can sugar go per cent"
Mixtures, compounds, combinations,
limitations and blends, which might
otherwise be classed as adulterated
foods, must bear label showing their
exact character" and the name and
quantity or proportion OF each con-
stituent thereof" There are many
articles Of food which, by their very
nature, are mixtures or compounds,
such as pure jellies and jams, canned
fruits and vegetables, prepared mus
tard, horse radish and vinegar. Such
mixtures are not, of course, adultera.
ted foods by reason OF the fact that
they are composed OF more than one
Ingredient. The food products which
require labels are adultered foods,
which are at the same time mixtures,
compounds. limitations and blends.
Saccharine or formaldehyle or any
other deleterious ingredients Is for
hidden by the law and Mr.. Wright an
nounces In his bulletin that the at
titude of the department will be
against the use of chemical preser.
natives, except the usual and neces-
sary amount OF benzoate OF soda In
catsup, sweet cider, wet mince meat
and Goldfish, IL the labels bear state
ment Of the presence Of such preser-
vatives.