Evening star., 1909-01-25
BENzOATE OF SODA HARMLESS
REMSEN BOARD REvERSES
FINDINGS OF DR.. WILEY.
Experiments of Four Noted Chemists
Show Preservative Did Not
Impair Food.

! That benzoate OF scda used as a food
| preservatfve is not injurious to health is
the Judgment OF the referee board of con-
sulting experts of which DR.. Ira Remsen.
president OF Johns Hopkins University. ia
chairman. This conclusion which has
! been approved by Secretary Wilson. re-
verses the findings of DR.. H. W. Wiley.
| chief OF the bureau of chemistry.
| Three separate Investigations were made
by the board, which. it is stated, were in
close agreement in all essential features.
| The main general conclusions reached
by the referee board are as follows:
! First. Sodium benzoate in small doses
| tunder % gram per day. mixed with the
| food is without deleterious. or poisonous
! action and is not injurious to health
Second. Sodium benzoate in large doses
Cup to grams per day. mixed with the
food has not been found 10 exert any
deleterious effect on the general health.
nor to act as a poison in the general ac-
ceptation OF the term. In some directions
there were slight notifications I'm certain
physiological processes. the exact signifi-
canoe of which notifications is not
known.
Third. The admixture OF sodium ben
1oate with food in small or large doses
has not been found to injuriously affect
or impair the quality or nhtritive value OF
such food.
First Victory for Manufacturers.
This is the first victory for the food
manufacturers who want to use benzoate
Of soda as a preservative. The chemical
had been used for long time, unknoun
to the general public. in pickles. catsups.
various sorts OF preserved fruits and
vagetaf 'es, and in the filings for pies.
This filling Is manufactured by the bar
rel and sold to many bakeries. which get
the filing for mince pies, apple and
peach PIES. and many other sorts in bar
relied form. and spoon IT out as they
need IT,
rna principal object OF the manufsc-
tC'ers IN using a preservattve is TO put
up d compound that will not spoil too
soon after the original package is opened
AM OF. who has done home preserving
knows that cooking and putting In an
alright receptacle will preserve most
food a long time. but when a jar or a
can is once opened the contents have 10
be used OF it will spoil.
DR.. Wiley held that benzoate OF soda
was essentially harmful. and that its
use ought to be prohibited altogether.
The referee board has decided that it is
not harmful. and that its use can be per
nitted. il the fact that il is used and the
amount Used is stated on the package.
The Board of Chemists
The decision just approved by the Sec-
retsry OF Agriculture was made by Ira
Remsen. president of Johns Hopkins Uni
versity: Russell II. Chittendon. director
Of the Sheffield scientific school of Yale
University and professor of physiological
chemistry of Yale University; John II.
Long, professor of chemistry, medical
school, Northwestern University; c. 4.
Herter. professor physiological chemistry.
College of Physicians and Surgeons. New
York. and A,onZo T.. Taylor professor Of
pathology, University of California.
DR.. Wiley has not changed his opinion
as to the harmful nature of bcnZoate Of
soda and the manufacturers are not SO
very much better off than they were he
fore for they had been allowed Ia use.
one-half of per cent of benzoate. pend
ing the report of the refere board. Ire
consumer | sjuSt in about the same posi-
ton he WAS before. but he Will have the
satisfac cton OF knowing from the label on
the jar how much of the preservative he
is consuming.