The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-04-10
COLD STORAGE HEN
TAPER CENT WATER
Grand Jury Says Hen Gains
Weight by INNER
sion.
CAUSE OF HIGH PRICES
METHODS DANGEROUS TO PUB
Lie HEALTH AND UNJUST.

New York, April 9.-Consumers of
cold storage poultry are paying % to
80 cents a pound for water, each fowl
accommodating from to 10 per cent
more weight by an immersion and
freezing process. according to a pre-
sentiment by the grand jury in Jersey
City.
Having indicted q officers and six
concerns of the so-called Beef Trust,
the grand jury finished its work by
handing to the court presentment in
regard to the condition of cold storage
plants in Hudson county, Opinions of
the jurymeH in respect to the high
prices of foodstuffs are expressed and
recommendation as to a remedy are
made.
Declaring that there are in existence
no laws that reasonably regulate the
cold storage of fOOdstuffs. the present.
ment states that these products can
be and are kept in cold storage for an
indefinite length Of time and that this
demands immediate correction. The
document continues:
I'VE find il possible to control the
market by storing foodstuffs. such as
meats, eggs and poultry, in cold stor-
age and thus enhance the price, and
that there is danger to public health
resulting from cold storage products
THE records of the cold storage
plants show that during the last year
many thousands of pounds of poultry,
millions of pounds of meat and millions
upon millions Of eggs were stored in
/ this country These food products are
kept there many months-eSgs Tor
nearly a year and meats and poultry,
in many cases, for a longer period.
When eggs were plentiful they were
cornered and kept from the market. 50
poultry was placed in cold storage and
! held at times when II was plentlIuli
and thus the market price was kept de-
pleted.
Cause of High Prices.
And the same thing applies. to
meats, so that we believe that methods
of this character go a great way in
causing the tremendous high price OF
| food products il has existed during the
last year. Cold storage plants are the
means whereby large corporate inter
/ ests control the market and dictate
prices; SIM. -, rornadiaa nv
law. which will restrict the time for
which these food products may be kepl
/ in cold storage. The result would ee
/ that instead of keeping those products
stored away and thus depicting the
market and enhancing the price, they
would be put into the market, and as q
| consequence prices would be lower
There may be considerable diverg-
/ ence Of opinion as to the erect OF colo
] storage upon meats ana poultry IRON
the health standpoint, but we are con-
vinced that a practice of freezing these
/ foOdstuffs particularly poultry, with
/ drawing them from cold storage fol
/ sale. with the incident thawing pro-
/ cess and then, upon failure or a marker
/ returning them TO cold storage for later
use is fraught with the gravest public
/ danger.
Add Weight by Process.
CAS- the inexperienced purchaser is
often unable to detect the difference
/ between fresh poultry and the colo
/ storage article by mere inspection, M
| is not made acquainted with what !:
| undeniabIy a fact, that in buying the
! cold storage product he is paying fol
/ from 9 to Il per cent of water. This
condition results from the thawing pro
cess accomplished by immersion II
! water.
often more wholesome and desirable
or would be in an unpolluted condition
! than the carcass which has absorbed
IL. water at from % to 80 cents poun'
/ pa lined off in this manner on an unsus
/ pecting public seems to US is given 1
| price beyond the dreams of even th'
most optimistic conservist.
I'VE have also been engaged in
| thorough investigation of the condi
/ tfons under which meat is shipped TO
| stored and sold in this country, bu
/ have been hampered in our fnvestiga
ton and unable TO complete the sam
Il bv reason of the refusal of certain cor
H Dorations to produce for our inspec
ton books and records pertaining TO tn
matter.
Investigation, which we deem of press
II Ing Importance to the pubic, be con
II tinued by the incoming grand jury