New-York tribune., 1908-06-08
FOOD LAW DORMANT
FOR CONDENSED MILK.
anomalous Situation affects the
Public Health.

The peculiar situation brought about by the sus-
pension of the pure food law standards governing
condensed evaporated milk has opened the way
for many small manufacturers and a few large
ones to place inferior product on the narket
and make hay while the shines, unrestricted
by any federal or state control The public is con-
sequently without that protection which 'he
law entities it to and the mercy OF unscrupuious
makers and dealers.
The present unsatisfactory condition of affairs
came about through the formal protests of the JOINT
committee of the official agricultural chemists ana
the Association of State and National Food ana
Dairy Departments. at its meeting In LOUISVILLE Oh
December H. 1906 This a few months after
the passage of pure food law and of the stand
ard established officially by Circular No 49, OF june
1906 which stated:
Condensed milk, evaporated milk is milk from
which considerable portion of water has oeeii
evaporated and contains less than ~ per ceils
of milk solids of which not less than go PEI eeii'
considerable portion of water has been
and TO which sugar (sucrose has peen aoueus any f
contains not less than S per cent OF mix Soius VI
which not less than 25 per cent is milk fat which
considerable portion of water has been evaporated
The joint committee above mentioned aoopteo d
That the subject of suggested changes in con con
densed milk standards be left open for 1utuis
sideraton, pending further nvestgation an ana - INA n
the Secretary Of Agriculture be requested IloI "
in cases where the sods are below Is per cent
In addition the first of the NAMED tbe aboVe
resolution at the meeting at State Coiiese' eii'
in March last, follows:
Resolved. That the above resolution be ana
hereby is reafirnled with the Recommendation tnae
authorities do not enforce the aforesaid stanoaId
in respect total solids where the milk fat toun9
in condensed milk is not less thar per cent anu
that the chairman of this committee be lnstructe9
to send copies of this to all officials charged
with the enforcement of food laws in the seVeral
states
The result of these formal complaints, though
the organiza tions which adopted these resolutions
have actual power concerning the enforcement
of the pure food law and its regulations has pen
the suspension of any standard by the Agrlcultura
lack of protection to the public from class OF un
ScrupulouS manufacturers who. having no reput1i-
ton lose pushing the sale of cheap low graue
condensed milk to the deriment ana emDarrasSsiIeut
have been making unsuccessful efforts to find OUT
how long this condition of affairs is gong 10 iasl
There is prevalent opinion among those 1anlliial
with the subject that the standards of 1906 are I'M
condensed milk is concerned 1t is Sald thds
these standards do not apply justly to all parts OF
the country It is claimed for example, oy some
producers of the State of Washington that their
milk is especially rich in butter fat To enforce
total solids rule would increase the quantity OF
butter fat in the evaporated product TO or ~
per This would place them at a runous dis-
advantage Other sections have complaints accord
ing to them, equally vital
PUBLIC MUST BE PROTECTED
Whatever the difficulties may be- said an Off
cial of a we'll known condensed milk manufactur-
ing establishment, the public, and as result all
honest makers of condensed milk. nlust De pro-
tected according to the law. I inclined 10 pc
lieve that the recommendations of the joint com
mfttee are correct and that the standard for
solids is trife too high. In any event the De-
partment at Washington should act at once