University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-03-17
What You Eat.

Commissioner Of Missouri with Offices
at Columbia, to those individuals who
lare actively Interested in the pure food
Icause.
| According to Section IA of the Az
ticle of the pure food law dealing with
crimes and punishments. the. store
keeper who has any drug or food
which is adulterated or misbranded is
subject to fine or to Imprisonment in
the county Jail not to exceed six
months.
The dealer who wishes to obey the
law is obliged to examine carefully the
food which he buys from his wholesale
house. He must not take for granted
that all the country produce which
comes to his store is fresh, but must
make tests for himself. Then he must
see that his clerks keep the store in
clean, wholesome condition.
There are numberless things which
the grocer must keep in mind regar1-
ing manufactured goods. For instance,
he must not sell any vinegar labeled
or branded as cider vinegar. or as
apple vinegar, which is not the legiti-
mate product of pure apple juice, or
which is not made exclusively from
apple cider. He must remember that
if lemon extract contains not less than
| five per cent of lemon oil, there must be
at least fifteen per cent of lemon oil in
bottles labeled triple extract Baking
powders kept on the shelves too long
suffer loss and fall short of the re-
Quired leavening power The dealer
must not refill the bottles of reputable
soft drink manufacturers with his own
ldecoctions.
Country producers and country pro-
duce also bear watching. The farmer
who waits until the case is full of eggs
before taking it to town is likely to
find some of the eggs spoiled when HE
delivers them to the produce dealer.
The grocer must take care that the
milk, cream and butter which he buys
come from dairies which have good
sanitary conditions. The green-grocer
must be sure that the fruit and vege-
tables which he buys are fresh.
There is also the duty of keeping
the shops and markets clean. Each of
the points mentioned in the scientific
score cards of our day should be con-
sidered by the conscientious dealer. |
These points, each counting 10 toward |
the perfect score of 100. are: ventila.
tion, light, floor, walls. fixtures, |
screens; refrigerator; butter and
cheese; bulk goods; vegetables; dis
play goods in store; sidewalk display, |
cellar and cellar stock; back room and |
yard; personnel. In bakeries, hotels /
and restaurants, the water supply. sew.
age and plumbing are also taken into
consideration.
The woman who loves her husband |
and wants him to eat unadulterated
foods will not leave the ordering OF
foods to servants. She will not buy the |
cheapest goods as pure foods cost more
to produce than foods containing cheap
adulterants. The housewife should re-
member that the words absolutely
pure" have absolutely no meaning un-
less backed by the known integrity of
the manufacturer.
The housewife should read the labels
and should understand the
of the words in small
type which name the preservatives in
the food. By writing to DR.. Cutler, the
can obtain a list of those +
which are harmful.
The consumer must be on guard
against "swelled" cans. The swell Is
caused by the carbon-dioxide released
when the food in the can ferments or
suffers decomposition. Such a condi.
ton may occur when the food is partly I
decayed before it is canned, or may re- /,
suit from the incomplete STERILIZATION
Of the food product. Certain disrepta-
Bile manufacturers and dealers have 9
made practice of puncturing these Z
cans to allow the gas to escape. and :
hen filling the puncture with solder
and covering it with the wrapper. The 8
'ood is just as bad as before but the
average housewife wouldn't think Of n
a can which is not badly +
,ut of shape. d
Women's clubs might agree upon a
inc of action in educating their men,
,ers by lectures and discussions of the
ood laws. Members should learn that
lnder the law every label must tell the
ruth. They should learn the classes