The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-05-20
DANGER IS LURKING
IN FOODS
USE OF BEhzOATE OF SODA
THREATENS HEALTH or
THOSE WHO USE IT.

Washington, .. G., May 19,-An in
vasion Of American homes is promised
for the sumtner Of 1909 1T viii be q
peaceful invasion, unaccompanied by
alarms and vet the more deadly be
cause Of the insidious character Of the
warfare which will be Waged upon
the public health BY the action Of
Secretaries Wilson, Cortelyou and
straua taken on the eve Of the re-
tirement OF the last administration,
benzoatc of soda may be used to
preserve amy sort Of food sold to the
public, without limitation on the guam
tity employed except that the same
must be stated on the labels, This
decision has been followed by in
creased activity on the part of those
manufacturers Of the food-stuffs who
find that under their present meth
DDS the use of bcnzoate of soda is es-
sential to preserve their products, and
even more interest is beng displayed
by the manufacturers of other foods
who have hitherto been prevented
from using representatives. but who see
in benzoate Of soda their possible
salvation. t0t .
1t is doubtful if the sweeping char
acter of the decision has been APP
preciated by. even Il small portion .oi
the public concerned 1T was original
~ proposed to prohibit altogether the
use of benzoate of soda in foods, on
the ground that it was a chemical
iva "a ,1Tp ,ar1t of iCt
was deleterious to health. Under
great pressure a modification was Sc
cured allowing the temporary use Of
one-tenth of one per cent in foods
where the preservative had formerly
| been used. With the Wilson-Straus-
| Cortelyou decision, however, the doors
We're thrown wide open and at pres
| ont the drug can be mixed with any
| and all kinds of foods and in, amy
| latter is limited only by the amount
| the trade will stand for, and no one
| has yet predicted what that limit Will
| be. BenzOate Of soda is thus recog-
nized as the only chemical preserva-
| tive the use of which is authorized
| by the government in unlimited
quantities. n Some Of the foods il
which it has been used and in Whicl
| it will certainly appear this summer
are: BELLIES, jams and preserves; ket
chup. Chill sauce and 'picltled lily;'
| peach, apple, plum and apricot but
| ter; cider and grape juice; mince-
meat and filling for all Kinds of pies
canned soups ana bouillons and article!
| Of similar character. Under the re-.
| cent decision however,, other products
| can now be preserved By this partic-
| ular chemical Among them are The
| syrups and fruit compounds served
at soda water fountains. 1t is tru,
the regulations provide that each con.
tainer shall be plainly labeled to show
the presence and amount of benzoatt
| of soda, but in the case of soda water
| the syrups are drawn from the foun-
| tain and the fruits are served from
bowls. These need not, and it is un
| necessary to say will not show thu
| presence or amount of benzoate OF
| soda. The same is true of bulk food
! in the grocery stores, such as butte
| in the tub, cheese in the case mill
| in the can, etc. In such cases thu
! consumer will have little opportunity
of knowing whether or not benzoatt
| of soda is used.