Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-16
SHOOTS IN A RAGE PURE FOOD QUERY
Matter Affecting Manufac.
ture Of Lard Substitute
UP TO ATTORNEY GENERAL
Whether or Not Premises ShallsDs
Subject to Inspection-Paok.
ers Interested.

What the Department Of Agriculture
characterises a. the most important Ques-
ton that has yet arisen under the meat
inspection act has Just been presented to
the Attorney General for settlement. II
10 whether under the law the manufac-
turers OF a lard substitute have to sub
NIT their premises to an inspection. a. do
the slaughterers Of meat cattle.
The trouble over which the contention
arises IL that the lard substitute with
which housekeepers are familiar II COM
posed mostly OF cottonseed oil. but has at
the same time q proportion Of fat in II.
The two questions have been submitted to
the Attorney General for settlement in q
department brief submitted to him:
Contents Of Brief.
The brief 10 as follows:
rs lard substitute composed OF 50 per
cent cottonseed oil and 20 per cent Of
oleo-stearin. an animal fat derived from
cattle or sheep, subject to inspection and
marking under the act of Congress ap-
proved June 30. 1906. before entering in
terstate or foreign commerce."
rs the Secretary of Agriculture. for the
purposes of the meat inspection law,
empowered to determine as a question of
fact upon which the operation of the
law Is made to depend. and to fix by
regulation, whether lard substitute as de-
nned above is meat or meat food
product"
The petition OF the manufacturers is
presented by three powerful firms. the
American Cotton Oil Company. the
Southern Cotton OIL Company. the N. K.
Fairbanks Company. he McCaw Manu-
featuring Company and Proctor. Gamble
& Co.
Contention Of Manufacturer.
The manufacturers state that there are
large interests involved. They add that
there are 75.00c,O0O pounds of lard sub
stitute made for export and that there
are 5OO,OOO.00O pounds consumed an
nually at home. The makers have here
tofore admitted that they were making
meat food product and have submitted
to inspection. but the packers--that IL, the
TOUR big meat packing houses in the
trade-have begun to crowd them and the
makers of the lard substitute now want
to get out of their arrangement for in
spection.
whole supply of oleo stearin used in the
manufacture of the lard substitute is in
the hands Of the packers and comes
from their establishments. They express
making oleomargarine, and the residue
Is used at home in making the lard COM
pound.
Use Of Foreign Product.
There is declared to be a great deal Of
oleo stearin produced abroad, and under
ruling of Attorney General Moody the
manufacturers OF the lard substitute can
buy this and bring 1t into the United
States and use 1t without inspection. But
1t develops that since they admit inspec-
ton where they use the domestic cleo
stearin. they cannot use the foreign prod
uct In the same establishment, and IL
they are to use 1t at all they will have
to duplicate their plants.
The foreign oleo stearin, which the
makers say is frequently much cheaper
than the domestic, Is not subjected to
government inspection where ii Is made
and cannot be inspected as the law d.
reefs after it comes to the United States.