Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-05-10
National Food Magazine.

: terials which arc unfit to eat. and
whichgcould not be utilized were chem
ical representatives. prohibited.
1t is a matter of encouragement for
the future. however, that the better
class of manufacturers. which consti-
tute tho majority. are 50 strongly In
favor Of the elimination Of artificial
conservatives from all food products.
One large packer of meats in stating
this attitude the other day, said: We
wish to give the people sausages made
of seasoned meat Such scausages are
good and wholesome, and vii! Keep
without EN- balming, but when half the
sausa ge filling is water and 3cornmeal.
the water and meal will sour without
chemical prcseryative, The authori-4
cation of benraate OF soda. forces us
into competition with sausages made
of cornfnna and water, and makes posvt
sible, at the same time, further cheap
ening with refuse material which no
honest manufacturer would wish to-
SELL"
And while according to q. recent
Agricultural department bulletin, is
Z sued from Washington after thorough
investigation of ketsup manufacture, it
appears that the greater part of our
ketsup is made from the skins. cores
and rotten tomatoes OF the canning fac
tories, preserved with benzoate of soda,
and while 1t is true, that included IN
this category some widely known
brands still beal. the shameful benzoate.
label, 1t Is equally true that with ono
or two exceptions, all the better class
of continental food manufacturers
have swung into line with public senti-f
Inent and are now putting out pure
wholesome goods.
Yet 1t is probably too much TO hope
that commercial cupidity will yield en-s
tirely without the direct and positive
intervention Of the law because OF the.
extreme cheapness of this cannery
waste and the consequent profit 3deriVa-
Bile from working 1t up. AS long as the
average cannery is unprovided with
ample sewage facilities and an actual
expense attends the disposal GIFTS gar
baee, 1t Is of course. a matter of ecOn-
omy to be able to ship the refuse away
to the cheap ketsup and soup maker,
who gets it5at about the cost OF freight
and handling. and 1t is the class of
manufacturer using this material who
protests that he actually cannot get
| along without benzoate of soda, and re-
main in business.
Professor, LAVAL, chemist of Penn
sylvania State Dairy and Food COM
mission. In recent article well says
"rf the manufacturer of a food product
were required to state upon the label
one or the alternatives suggested Dy
Professor Lloyd, as follows:
1. The henzoate used in preserving
this fruit is derived from a benzoict
acid made from the urine of horses and
cattle, Or
2. The benzoate used in preserving
this fruit is. derived from coal tar, or,
9. The benzoate used in preserving
this fruit is derived from gum ben
zoin-There is little doubt as to which
of these labels manufacturers would
| prefer TO use. But IL. realizing the rela-
tive prices of these products, the benz.
zoic acid derived from gum benzoin be-
ing worth $3.50 pound. as compared
with 80 cents a pound for the other two
varieties. how long do you think it
would take the manufacturer to make
up his mind to so change his method
as to make it possible to send his
goods out without any preservative
, whatever? ~
It is to be hoped that when Congress.
meets again in regular session, the
! many champions OF food purity among:
its members will become active in se-t
curing an amendment tn the tioliai;
law which Will settle the question of.
food purity and place II beyond the
reach OF any mischievous department
rulings to permit the embstiniing sot5
our food supplies, for all time.