The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-10-24
MAKING FOOD PURE.
Commissioner Foust Tells Of Work OF His De
partmcnt

Some interesting facts and figures
concerning the adulteration of food
stuffs and the work now being done
in the interests of pure food were
presented by James Foust, State
Dairy and Food Commissioner, in
an address made before the United
Business Mems Association, at
Philadelphia. What most impress
ed his listeners was the statement
of the results achieved by the Pure
Food Division, showing that the
public is now getting an entirely
different kind of food from what it
did two years ago, even though the
food may look and taste the same.
The value of the new Pure Food
law, which was approved June I of
this year, was dwelt upon by Mr..
Foust, and the importance of it was
urged. He said that the law is as
yet INFESTED and uninterrupted,
but that as it looks at present it ap-
pears to cover the ground well. In
part he said:
The scheming manufacturer un-
til recently was able to manufacture
and place on the markets an arti-
fetal product that only scientific
chemists could detect. Since the
organization of the division, sew
eral thousand prosecutions were
brought and terminated for the
adulteration of all kinds of foods.
Many thousand dollars in fines
were sent by the agents to the
Dairy and Food Commissioned.
Two years ago fifty per cent. of
the so-called olive oil was made
from cotton seed. The adulterated
oil was put up in cans purporting
to come from Italy, which were
labeled as taking the premium at
many expositions photographs of
medals were on the labels, and
everything conceivable was done to
deceive the purchaser. This has
practically been wiped out, and the
market has now pure olive oil. This
is also true in almost every other
line of food supplies more especi-
ally milk, as the practice of using
formaldehyde and other poisons
has been practically wiped out in
Pennsylvania, brought about large
ly by the National Food and Drugs
Acts, and the rules and regulations
prepared by the Federal authori-
ties for the guidance of the trade,
as we'll as the rigid enforcement of
the laws in Pennsylvania during
recent years.
1t naturally follows that since
the trade is complying with the
national law in our State as we'll
as elsewhere, giving the consumer
pure products, there must natur-
ally be decrease in the number of |
prosecutions. This is a circum-
stance which should cause rejoicing
throughout the Commonwealth
rather than criticism.
Since my appointment on April
IS, 1907, between eight and nine
thousand samples of milk, cream,
ice cream, various kinds of meat,
catsup, jelly, jam, olive oil, pickles,
oleomargarine, renovated butter,
vinegar and other food samples
have been purchased and many
prosecutions have been instituted.
From April IS to October IL, 1907,
there have been terminated II2
pure food cases, 100 oleomargarine,
22 milk, 3 renovated butter and 8
vinegar, making total of 24o cases
terminated. The total amount of
fines received was $40 So4. The
total amount received from oleo-
margarine and renovated butter
licenses during the same period was
S22II,o2, making grand total of
$I3,oI5.o2 turned into the State
Treasury for the use of the Com
monwealth.