The Washington herald., 1912-03-03
UNWRAPPED BREAD
4 GERM CARRIER
Health officer Woodward
Favors Plan to Protect
the Food Product.
SAFEGUARD TO HEALTH

Asserting that unwrapped bread is a
potential danger TO health, and that all
bread should be wrapped before leaving
the bakery. DR.. W. C. woodward, Dis
trict health officer, yesterday gave his
views on the crusade being waged by the
clubwomen Of Washington TO have bread
wrapped at the bakeries before distrfbu-
tIon.
Dr. Woodward stated that the question
OF wrapped bread is one that has en-
gagged the attention Of the health once
for five years. At that time the local
bakers threatened 10 raise the price OF
bread cent a loaf if an ordinance fore
ing them to wrap their product was
adopted. AS It was not in the power OF
the health oficer or the Commissioners
to prevent this increase In price, and
because OF unwillingness TO be respon-
sible for such an increase in the cost
of one of the necessities of life, the health
Officer did not recommend the promulga-
tiop of the proposed ordinance. He did,
however, in his annual report for 1905
call attention to the fact that expert
raents had been made. and that II had
been conclusively proven that the wrap
ping OF bread. hot from the oven. was
practicable assertions Of the bakers to
AAN SNAAA~Ag
LoRves Are Smaller.
''Since that time" said Dr. woodward,
-'the courts have held that the regulation
forcing bakers TO sell sixteen ounces OF
bread TO the loaf was illegal, and az
result the size OF the loaf has been re-
duced. Instead Of sixteen ounces, as for
merly, there are now only about twelve
or thirteen ounces to the loaf. Thus the
price OF bread has been raised without
the consumers knowing II.
"From experiments Il was determined
that bread can be wrapped while It 10
stll hot without injurious effects. In
fact, the bread Is in as good condition on
the following day as when II came from
the oven. The best paper for this pur-
pose is porous paper Of the same char
acter as that on which newspapers are
printed. The porous quality Of the paper
enables the heat in the bread to escape
without causing the bread to sweat
'Unwrapped bread is always likely 20
breed disease. The continuous handling
which 1t receives from the baker, the
driver, and the grocery clerk, and the
fact that in the majority OF stores it is
placed in unprotected bins or on the open
counter makes II n very easy matter for
It to collect germs dangerous to health.
Cannot SterIIIxe Bread.
Bread can't be washed; it is imprac-
ticabk to steriliEe ii by heating IL in
the 5Sen, and it would be very expensive
10 cut away the outer crust" said Dr.
Woodward THE answer to the problem
that all bread should be wrapped i'm
nediately upon coming from the oven.
Ind in this way the health ofsthe COM
Imunity would be safeguarded from the
diseases transmitted through the medium
of unwrapped bread"
The circular letter which is being pre-
pared by the sanitation and civics COM
nittee of the Housekeepers' Alliance, Of
which Miss Georgia Robertson is chair
man, asking the support Of the Fedora
tion Of Women's Clubs in the crusade for
bakery wrapped bread, will shortly be
ready for mailing. II is likely that cop
les will be mailed TO the various women's
clubs to morrow night.