Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-05
PURE FOOD KNOWLEDGE.
How To Detect Spoiled Sea Food and
Game.


With the coming of hot weather,
when meats. especially sea foods, rap
idly detcriorate in quality. housewives
of the capital are seeking means of
quickly detecting foods offered for
sale when unfit for use. To be sure,
the best protection offered marketers
is the integrity of the dealer, and it
is TO the credit of Washington that
the average narketmsn here is strict
Is honest in offering only The proper
quality of edibles To the public.
However, the necessity Of continual
inspection plainly shows that, whether
with the cognizance of the dealer or
not. foods untitled for human con-
sumption are frequently exposed for
sale. and in spite of rigid inspection
the purchaser must perforce be called
upon TO shun the bad
Pressed TO tell of the methods he
uses in detecting bad foods in the
regular round of his duties a. Frank
Isaus. Who May celenrated MS tifth
anniversary as inspector 81 marine
products for the DISCREET rndcr pi
Woodward health officer, told a re
porter of The Star just what he goes
by in detecting unfit sea foods.
Since the prices on various kinds
of fish make this form of food about
the most economical to be had, it will
be best perhaps to begin by dcscrib-
ing the way to tell a good fish from
had one said Mr.. Evans. Fish OF
ali kinds undergo decomposition much
sooner than meat when killed. This
is caused chiefly by the conditions IN
der which fish are caught, iced and
packed. once decomposition has
started. icing, or cold storage VIII ar
rest it only temporarily. for wheT
ltaken out of cold storage the fish
rapidly deeomposes.
THE quality of fish as In article of
food is influenced by the act of
spawning. Just previous to spawn
ing the flesh is at its best. 1t is fat
ter and richer than at any other
period. while later the sore of fatty
matter is lost and it becomes poor,
thin and flabby.. The fish then is out
of season. the flesh is 'hhuish in color
wanting in firmness Of texture, and
|reeuires time to recover its eondi-
ton. The time required for this re-
covery varies with the fish"
What are some of the indications
of freshness" was asked.
THE appearance of the eyes of the
fish gives a clear indication of fresh
ness, but as convincing proof of I'M
soundness it should not he relied upon
without other tests. If fresh the eye
lwill be prominent and full while the
pupil win he dark This condition
dees not remain long. however, for
soon after being caught the eye be-
comes gray and shrunken. though ir
all probability the fish still is fit for
food. The collapsed condition Of the
leyeball, with the gray, dull appear
ance, is one of the first tests.
"As is well known, fish in their
natural state have red gills: but the
particular tint of red is not the same
| in all species. For instance, in the
whiting the red color of the gills-is
not nearly SO dark as ip the shad. 1t
| is important to note that fish caught
in a gill net, especially those caught
when the net first is cast. and thus
dragged about for several hours in a
half suffocatcd condition. will differ
from a trap net or haul seine caught
| fish
THE gills of fresh fish, therefore,
| are of natural red color, this chang,
ling to gray or muddy white, or in
THE later stages to a greenish appear
ance.
"A fish that is full scaled, and with
scales that are firm, not easily de-
| tachable or rubbed off, and with
bright and glistening appearance, may
generally be taken as being fresh. on
the other hand, il deficient in scales,
or IL they easily rub off, or of a dull
color and dry in condition. the fish
gstzrail,A issgettinssbeyond good con-