Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-08-27
MEMBERS OF ROOSEVELTS REF
FREE BOARD AGAIN DECLARE
BENZOATE HARMLESS.
LONG MAKES PRACTICAL TEST
Doctor Shows How Soda Does Not Cover
Up Infenority in CatsuP of
Rotten Fruits.
TALKS AT PURE FOOD MEETING

| OF soda as the preServative most COM
monty used in manufactured food prod
uctS was put on trial before the conven-
! ton of the Association of State and Ma
tional Food and Dairy departments to-
| day.
The opposing forces were the govern
ment's chemical experts, including mem
| bers of the Remsen referee board, who
contended that benzoate was harmless,
and some of the 200 state food commits
| sioners and agriculturists delegated to
the convention.
| Wilson Is Spectator.
/ Secretary of Agriculture James Will
son was an interested spectator. Near
! him sat DR.. Ira Remsen of Baltimore,
| Nd, DR.. Russell H. Chittenden of New
Haven, Conn. and DR.. John H. Long of
| Evanston. III. aud DR.. Christian II.
| Herter of New York city, all members
! of the referee board of consulting
| scientific experts, appointed by Presi-
| dent Roosevelt to settle the disputed
points in the federal pure food law. Each
member of the board read paper up
holding their conclusion that benzoate
| when used in food in moderate quanti-
ties is harmless
The position taken by Mr.. Emery and
his followers as announced by them is,
IF there is any doubt as to the harmful
ness of chemicals in food the public
| should have the benefit of the doubt
Gives Practical Example.
As showing that benzoate does not
cover up inferiority, DR.. Long said he
/ has made catsup out of rotten toma-
toes, apples, peaches and bananas. In
one portion was put vinegar and spices
and in another benZOate, and the only
portion which tasted good was that in
which vinegar and spices had been
mixed.
Dr. Remsen Talks.
In the early part of the year 1908
President Roosevelt wrote to the presi-
dents Of half a dozen univerties of the
country, saying that III the administra-
| ton of the pure food law some Difficult
ties had arisen and that it seemed de-
sirable to call in the aid of a group of
scientific men to pass upon such disput-
| ed matters. | visited the President and
| he asked me to take the craftsmanship OF
the board. | demurred, but he urged me
and there was apparently nothing lett
for me but to accept and | did so.
The President then turned over to
me the letters he had received from the
universities and asked me to select the
members of the board.
LAS a result | submitted TO the Pres
ident the names of DR.. Chittenden, Long
Herter and Taylor. The selections were
approved and the appointments prompt
~ were made.
In the meantime ! had talked over
the situation with Secretary Wilson and
since the appointments, my dealings have
been directly with the secretary. We
understand we had nothing TO do with
the administration of the pure food law.
Our function is to answer TO the best
of our power such questions as the sec,
! rotary may put.
Determined Two Points.
Now, in regard to this work on ben,
zoate Of soda. The referee board was
asked to determine two points:
"1-Whether henzoate of soda in
quantities as are likely to be used is
or is not injurious to health.
''2-Whether the quality or strength
of a food to which benzoate of soda has
been added is thereby reduced, lowered
or injuriOusly affected.
You know the conclusions to which
the board has been led by its work. With
the actual experimenting | had nothing
to do. The board had Il number of long
meetings in which the methods to be fol-
lowed were fully discussed and finally
agreed upon. | attended these meetings
and took part in the discussions. During
the progress of the work | kept in
formed i'll regard to it. We then agreed
upon the form of the report and the
knowledge | had gained was of such
character that l felt justified i'll signing
the report"
George l.. Flanders, assistant COM
missioner of agriculture OF New York
state is named as the probable next
president of the association.
Uses Poison Squad"
Speaking of the results of experiments
made by administering quantities OF
| benzoate of soda into the food given tC
six healthy young men for periods re-
spectively of two months and one month.
/ DIR. Russell II. Chittenden of New Ha-
ven, Conn, member of the referee
| board, said that three-tenths of a gram
was administered daily to each subject
during the two months period. In the
one month experiment. each man re-
ceived per day during the first week
SlX-tenthS of q gram. second week, one
gram, third week, two grams, fourth
week, four grams.
Surely. this administration when ac-
companied by a gain of body weight and
without loss of power to digest and alb
sOrb the protein and fat of the daily food
must be taken as evidence that sodium
benzOate in the doses administered Is
not seriously detrimental to health" said
Dr. Chittenden.
Certainly huckleberries, cranberries
plums. prunes and other related fruits
contain appreciable amounts of ben