The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-06-07
SACCHAR|N IS
PROHIBITED
GOVERNMENT RENDERS SWEEP
ING DECISION THAT WILL AZ
Feet MANY FOODS AND DRINKS
AFTER JULY I.

The Bottlers' Gazette says: The
secretary of agriculture has issued
decision, based upon a finding OF the
referee board Of consulting scientlnc
experts, which forbids the use or sac
charm in food on and after July ], next
The decision is under the food ana
drugs act and will prohibit the manu-
facture or sale in the District OF 90
lumbia or the territories Of foodstu1Is
containing saccharin, as well as inter
state commerce in such foodstuHs
The finding of the board is the second
since its creation and is regaroeu as
very sweeping, inasmuch as the DE-
cision affects more than thirty diner
ent classes of foods. Some OF the ar
ticles affected are soft drinks, sweet
pickles, jellies and jams, and In some
instances beer. The decision folloWs:
AT the request of the secretary OF
agriculture, the referee board OF con-
sulting scientific experts has conducted
an investigation as to the eHect on
health of the use Of saccharln. The
investigation has been concluded, and
the referee board reports that the con-
tinued use of saccharin for long time
in quantities over three tenths of a
gram per day is liable to impair di-
gestion, and that the addition of sac
charm as a substitute for cane sugar
or, other forms of sugar, reduces the
food value of the sweetened product
and hence lowers its quality.
"Saccharin has been used as a sub
stitute for sugar in over thirty classes
| of foods in which sugar is common
| ly recognized as a normal and valua-
BILE Ingredient If the use of Saccharin
be continued 1t is evident that amounts
of saccharin may readily be consumed
which will, through continual use, pro-
duce digestive disturbances. In every
food in which sacesarfn is used, some
other Sweetening agent known to be
| harmless to health can be substituted,
and there is not even a pretense that
| saccharin is a necessity in the manu-
/ facture of food products. Under the
| food and drugs act articles of food are
aduIterated if they contain added
poisonous or other added deleterious
| ingredients which may render them in
! furious to health Articles of food are
also adulterated within the meaning
of the act, If substances have been
mixed and packed with the foods so as
| to reduce or lower or tnjuriously affect
their quality or strength. The find
| ings of the referee board show that
| saccharin in food is such an added
poisonous or other added deleterious
| ingredient as is contemplated by the
act. and also that the substitution of
sacchrin for sugar in food reduces and
i lowers their quality.
1.-THE secretary of agriculture, there
fore, will regard as adulterated under
the food and drugs act foods contain
| ing sacchartn which, on and after July
II, 1911, are manufactured or offered
| for sale in the District of Columbia or
the territories. or shipped in inter
state or foreign commerce, or offered
Lfor Importation into the United
fStates."
This is a drastic and most sweeping
decision. Bottlers in the District of
Columbia, or the territories, or those
having inter state shipments, are
warned accordingly.