The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-19
ALL MEAT MUST MEET
 PURE FOOD TEST NOW Order ExeTnpting Certain Products
 From Federal Control is Revoked.
FAR REACHING IN EFFECT.
Agricultural Department Can Entirely Prevent Sale of Adulterated
 

Washington, June 19-Through ac- tion by the Wilson administration a long step was taken today toward in- surfing to American consumers abso- lutely pure and wholesome meat and meat food products. The action con- sisted in the extension by Executive orders of the pure food and drugs act so as to include meat and it's food products. This was accomplished through the revocation of a regulation adopted shortly after the passage of the act which exempted these items from it's operation.
 Today's extension of the Govern ment's activities under the act is the most radical and far reaching yet made. The Department of Agriculture will have full Jurisdiction over the meat and meat products. Manufac- turers of meat foods will be required to comply with the food and drugs act as we'll as the meat inspection laws, and it will be possible for Government inspectors to seize meat in both retail and wholesale markets which may be unwholesome. Those responsible for food being adulterated or unwhole- some are liable to prosecution. The Secretary Of Agriculture has appoint ed a committee to adopt and carry into effect suitable regulations for the extension of the scope of the Govern ment's activities.
 Officials of the Department of Agri- culture say the new regulation may banish from the market many potted meat de1icacies which would pass mus ter under the meat inspection law. but may not be able to meet the re- quirements of the pure food and drugs act.
 DEPARTMENT HANDICAPPED.
 The Department of Agriculture has been effectua1ly prevented from pro- ceeding against manufacturers of meat foods under the pure food law Or or dering seizures and prosecutions for rnisbranding or adulteration of domes- tic meat.
 Secretary of Agriculture Houston could not understand why meat and meat food products were not a food in the sense of the food and drugs act, or why the Department of Agriculture could not seize bad meat or adulter- ated or misbranded meat once it had entered. interstate commerce. He re- quested an opinion from the Attorney General on the meat inspection and pure food laws. Attorney General Mc- Reynolds said in his reply that the acts are Supplementary to each other and both apply to the same articles of food wherever their wording so in dicates."
 A statement issued by the Depart ment of Agriculture says:
 '"The revocation of Regulation 39 in no way interferes with the powers of the Department of Agriculture con ducted under the meat inspection law. It ismp1y brings meat under the food act as well as under the meat inspec- ton law and thus gives the Govern nent control over meat foods not only in the Preferably inspected establish ments but after the meat product has left such establishments on an inter- 1 state Journey.
 .sThe Department of Agriculture can now seize and prevent the sale of bad or aduIterated meat once it has cross ed the State line and remains in in terstate commerce. Under the new de- cision the Government can control meat foods in interstate commerce from the hoof to the retailer. STRINGENT RULE ON BRANDING.
 '-Section 8 of the food and drugs act, to which manufacturers of meat must now conform, provides that the term 'misbranded' shall apply to all into the composition of food, the pack l age or label of which shall bear any statement, design or device regarding such article or the ingredients or sub 1 stances contained therein which shall I be false or misleading in any particu- falsely branded as to the State, terri 1 tory or country in which it is manu- factured or produced.
 "A committee has been appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to pro- vide an effective plan for co-opera- ton between the bureau of chemistry and the bureau of animal industry to exercise control to thesful1 extent au- thorized by law over domestic meats and meat food products. With effec- tive cooperation between these two bureaus the seizure arm, of the food and drugs act, it is believed, will be a powerful means of regulating traffic in unSOund rneatS.'