Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-26
QUESTION OF sARDINES.
1t Constitutes a knotty Problem Un-
der the Pure Food Law.

der the Pure Food Law.
All sorts of trouble, says a Wash
ington dispatch, has been experienced
by the department Of agriculture in
trying to determine, officially, what a
sardine is. 1t was necessary, under
the pure food law to obtain an exact
answer to the question, for CONNER
cially, the sardne is an important ar
ticle and the trade in the succulent
finny morsel is enormous.
Secretary Wilson and Dr. Harvey
w. Wiley, of the bureau of chemistry,
wrestled with the problem for several
months. They held hearings and lis
tened to learned statements from
many of the sardine experts of the
country. When they had concluded
their inquiries they were no nearer to
determination of the question than
they were when they began. AS a
last resort, Secretary Wilson request
ed the United States fish commission
to pass upon the question and, If pos
sible, give him a definition of sardine
that would stand the test Of the law.
Here is the result of the fish experts
consideration.
Commercially, the name 'sardine'
has come to signify any small, canned
clupeold fish. The methods Of prep
aration are so various that 1t is i'm
possible to establish any absolute
standard Of quality. 1t appears to
this department that the purposes of
the pure food law will be carried out
and the public fully protected If all
the sardines bear label showing the
place where produced and the nature
Of the ingredients used in preserving
or fiavoring the fish,
In a ruling made by the department
of agriculture-based substantially on
the definition of the fish commission
ii is held that the term "Sardine" may
be applied to any small fish prepared
as indicated by the fish commission;
but ii is required, in addition that the
box or package containing the sar-
dimes shall bear on it's label the name
Of the country or state in which the
product is put up" and the names Of
the ingredients used either in the pres
ervation or cooking or favoring Of
the fish.
Years ago when one ate sardines he
was certain that he was enjoying a
product of Sardinia. The fish used in
that product were genuine sardines,
ii has come to point now, however,
where the name "sardines" is used in
a generic sense to describe a class of
fish products. A half dozen varieties
of small fish are used in the making
of the Sardines Of commerce and they
are made in France, in Germany, in
Great Britain and in the United
States. Large quantities Of them are
canned in this country. The packages
containing them are beautifully en-
blaZoned with French labels and here
tofore it has been felt by most of the
people Of this country that they were
being regaled with the French pro-
duct.
Hereafter, there will be no such de-
ception. Secretary Wilson proposes
the people shall know just what they
are paying for when they buy sardines
or anything else in the line Of food
product. The labels on the boxes or
packages will show precisely what the
contents are and practically, how they
are prepared. The sardine Gamers
of this country are making wry faces
over the prospect of having to be spe-
cific in their declarations on the Ia
bells. but the law Is clear and they
will have to obey it.