Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-19
The Kind Mother Made.

!: state and National dairy and food
manufacturers continue to reach as
far east as Augusta. Name. Inc
"echoes" are in the form of propaganda
from publicity bureaus maintained by
the benzoate- of-soda and antl-pen-
zoate-of-soda men. Those who favor
1.-The use Of food preselVatlVeS de-
clare that it is harmless and point to
decisions of the Department of Agrl-
lculture or of chemists connected
Herewith. to support their claim.
They also assert that foods are pre-
served at the present time under the
most sanitary conditions, and that
i there is nothing in the condiments
which is injurious to health. Their
whole campaign in behalf OF the use
If benzoic boric. salicylic acids and
their compounds is based upon that
proposition.
The advocates of strictly pure foods
| are combining their activities to TWO
lines First. the education of the pub
liz az to the harmfulness of all so
called food preservatives, and to the
fact that the use of personalities en-
ahles unscrupulous manufacturers TO
embody dccayed fruits and refuse IN
food. and the conduct of Il campaign
which has for it's purpose the COLI
| domination of food preservatives by
resolutions on the part of physicians IN
their National State and county meol-
cal associations in this country. inc
public is notified that there Will be
presented to Congress at its next ses-
sion a bill which will have for its ann
further safeguarding of the pubic
from injurious food personalities. Inc
medical organizations as rule take
the stand that chemistry is an exact
science. and that it is not within the
province of the chemist to define 10
| what extent the materials, with which
| he experiments, will affect the COM
plex human organisms with Whlch
only the physician and diagnostlclan
are called upon to deal. This bears
directly upon the assertion that chem
lists in the employ of food preventative
men are making experiments designed
to mislead the public. The pure 1000
men claim that the action of the Den
yer Convention in endorsing the re-
mort of the Remsen Board Favorable
to benzoate of soda) was brought about
through log rolling and machine meth
DDS. They are now seeking to over
come whatever advantage would ac-
crue from a technical endorsement by
so important a convention by giving
the widest possible publicity to their
claims that such Endorsement was not
an expression of the opinion of the
regular delegates. -
The Department of Agriculture has
become involved in the discussion and
through it serious opposition to Sec
rotary Wilson has been aroused. The
public has right to and demands
clean foods. So large a percentage of
the population of this country is de-
pendant upon the corner grocery that
anything which tends to destroy the
confidence in the food which that gro
Ger sells him is q very serious matter.
readily reflected upon the receipts of
the industry which furnishes him his
preserved food. On the other hand a
| man can never be sure that he is re-
ceiving pure food unless the Governor
safeguards him at the point of man.
| ufacture, it being obvious that he cam
not personally oversee the cooking and
canning of that which he eats. If the
| agricultural department endorses ben
zoate of soda. concerning which there
| is admittedly some doubt. and manu-
| facturers continue to use it the con-
sumner will be compelled to eat it or
foods. Thus any decision of the De-
partment is vital to the welfare of
the public. 1t occurs to us that the
use Of benzoate of soda was not con-
sidered necessary by our mothers dur
ing the fall canning season, and that
| the food she preserved was surprising
| " better than that which we are now
able to buy at any price. 1t may be
that we were misnformed, but our re-
membranes of the matter is that when
the food was properly canned. little
| spoiled. If that method was salts
factory for our mothers we fail to see
where it has lost any of its efficiency
at the present time. We prefer our
food free from all preservatives and
believe that the great majority have
the same preference.