Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-08
FOOD EXPERTS MEET.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

The sixteenth annual convention OF
the Association of State and National
Food and Dairy Departments is meeting
in Seattle this week. The trip TO the
Pacific coast by the eastern contingent
was made in one of the most elaborate
trains ever sent across the Rockies
known as the pure food special. The
convention will take up many food
problems in general. but especially the
matter of reinforcing and making
more effective the national pure food
and drug law.
The association has had a new sec
ton added to it since the last annual
convention-the section OF food chem
lists There are now five sections. and
each will hold independent meetings
in the afternoons. the forenoons being
reserved for the meetings of the full
convention. The first section is known
as that of food control executives. Its
membership consists OF all state and
federal officials who have to do with
the enforcement Of the pure food laws
1t has been said that no man ever de-
vised a law that some one did not give
him a Roland for his oliver by devils
ing method for getting around it,
and that has been particularly true of
the pure food laws. The section of
year to devise methods OF putting
down some Of these abuses which per-
sist. the pure food laws to the con-
trary notwithstanding.
Another section consists of the dairy
officials of the country. Their problem
is to work out ways and means for
promoting the quality and the purity
Of the milk and butter supply of the
country. The growing evidence that.
with the water supply of a city puri-
fed. nearly two-thirds of the contag-
ious and infectious diseases are trace
able to impure milk is leading to a
national pure milk propaganda which
is strongly backed by the dairy Of
The section of food control analysis
Stand Between Consumer it are the
and Adulterant Users. so .p.nd =
between the consumer and the users OF
adulterants. Gradually the number Of
adulterants are being restricted and
the people at large are learning how
to detect many of them, but after all
1t is in the laboratory of the food
analyst that the real protectors Of the
American stomach are to be found.
The section of food and drug control
Jurisprudence is composed of the le-
gal end of the various government
food and dairy departments.
One of the interesting reports forthcom-
ing at this convention relates to the prob
lem of cold storage. AT the last annual
convention Ii was declared that a stand
ard set of rules for cold storage ought to
be adopted. rules which would be fair at
once to the cold storage warehOuseman
and just to the consumer. few months
ago the president of the association APP
pointed committee In accordance with
slider the whole question and to make ap-
prOpriate recommendations to the con-
vention. Another committee was ap-
pointed to devise a system of bacteriologi-
partments in enforcing the pure food
laws. AS it has frequently happened that
more than JOO,OOO.OOO germs have been
found in half teaspoonful of tomato
pulp it viii be seen that the number which
might be eaten at a single meal is ines
Unable. Just what breeds Of bacilli are
dangerous and how many may be present
to justify condemnation are questions
that probably will be answered for the
whole United States in this report.
In spite of the great awakening of the
people against impure and adulterated
food, and notwithstanding the fact that
unremitting efforts to put down the traf-
fic in such foods are being put forth.
there are still those who do fourishing
business-some under the sanction of the
law, and some contrary to it's provisions.
For instance, there are what is known In
the trade as spot" eggs, and that is but
more gentle word for the kind that are
supposed to be thrown at unpopular poll
ticianS and bad actors. They are bought
by the millions, thrown into containers.
treated with certain deodoriZing agents.
and then sold to the bakers. After they
are baked into cakes and pastries the
and good eggs. That is why some states
permit the traffic to go on.
Then the cheap butcher has trick to
make putrid flesh look like the best in
the market. He calls it Jerusalem"
Rub a little of 1t on the hand and then
moisten it with water. and you have the
appearance of raw. bleeding flesh. The
cheap butcher puts it on bad meat and In
bologna sausage of ancient lineage, and
presto. it looks as fresh as ever came
from the best meat market-and il kills
all offensive odors at the same time In
some states the use of Jerusalem" is a
punishable offense; in others 1t is not.
Certain kinds of fish, especially shad.
when they begin to look a little worse
for wear
Use Chemicals on Fish in the fish
to "Freshen" Them Up. q net =
their eyes touched up with chemicals.
their gills deftly painted and their whole
appearance made that of fresh fish just
out of the water. Connecticut frost fish
are touched up with red ink and the