The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-05-13
Pure Food Law To Be Passed in
Wisconsin To Be Model for
Use in Other States
TO PROTECT ALL PRODUCTS
Big Companies Are Expected to Make a
Hard Fight to Defeat Some of
the Provisions of the Pro-
posed Wisconsin Law


Li.Ee in many other reforms of ma
tional Importance, Wisconsin promises
to distinguish herself at this session
of the legislature by the enactment of
the most complete pure food law that
has ever been passed by a state legis-
lature. In recent years it has been
the legislative custom to enact law
prescribing as tie standard for the
purity of foods, the same standard as
was being enforced by the national
legislation. AS this last standard was
continually varying, 1t was difficult
to determine in court the actual stand
ard in force. For this reason and to
overcome any such obstacles in the
future, Assemblyman Kull introduced a
bill early in the session fixing com
plete standard of all food products.
Following a general expose of the
methods Of adulteration used by man
#.
ufacturers yesterday, the assembly or
dered the bill engrossed without dis
senting vote. The measure will come
up for final passage in the house, next
Tuesday or Wednesday,
Nearly 200 different standards are
prescribed in the bill. The meat
standards are first fixed, such as sau-
sages, mince meats, beef extracts, lard
and cold storage goods, with provisions
prohibiting the use Of deleterious sub
stances.
Under the bill milk cannot test low
er than three per cent milk fat; CON
densed milk must contain not less than
2S per cent of milk solids; cream shall
not contain less than Is per cent of
milk fat; butter S2.5 per cent milk fat;
cheese .05 per cent milk fat, and ice
cream IA per cent milk fat. There
are further provisions on the subject
of ice cream explaining what sub
stances may be combined in it's manu-
facture. Then the bill fixes the purity
OF wheat flour, graham, corn meal, rice,
oat meal, and rye flour The main pro
vision is to limit the amount Of moist
ure the -four shall contain.
Several sections of the bill are de-
voted to the purity of dried fruit pro-
duets and then the important sections
to prevent authorizations in syrups, hon
ey, preserves, jam, marmalade, fruit
butter, and lellies are added. The feat
ures of these sections describe what
these products shall contain and make
the adding of other deleterious sub
stances, an adulteration. The provi-
sions regarding sorghum, sugar, maole
syrup, molasses are still more stringent
IN every instance limiting the amount
OF water to less than 80 per cent of
water Even candy does not escape
and the chocolate drop can only CON
tain certain ingredients.
Other provisions relate TO horse rad
lsh, mustard, nutmeg, pepper and pages
are devoted to fiavoring extracts. CT
ders and vinegars are brought within
the provisions of the act The feature
of the bill is that it states the compost
ton OF certain articles and the intro
duction of a deleterious substance
would at once make it an adul-
teratlon within the meaning of the
law which affects almost everv
article of food on the market
and if enacted into law and enforced
will ensure the highest standard of
purity possible.
While this is the main pure food
measure in the house, there are a mum
Der OF others that go hand and hand
with the provisions of the bill. Last
Thursday the committee on dairy and
food reported for passage bill fixing
the standards of malt, ardent and
spirituous liquors. This bill by Assem-
blyman Ingram is aimed to prevent the
introduction of acids in many Of the
beverages and will compel all liquors
to be clearly labeled as to their con
tents
Much along the same line is the bill
Of Assemblyman CrowelI, which pro
vides for pure white lead and zine. AS
these are principal constituents in most
Of the other colored paints this will
probably pass with a provision fixing
the standard of purity for turpentine
and hnseed oil.
MADDTEn Arrsxxy