Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-08
In Business Circles--News and Review
MEAT IMPORTS TO
B E WATCHED
CLOSELY

Brought about by the realization
of the meat shortage in the country,
requiring that food to be imported
from many southern countries. steps
have been taken by the department
of agriculture at Washington which
greatly increases its power, and gives
it all the rights conferred under the
pure. food and drug act, which here
tofore has not applied to meats.
BY its newly assumed powers L.
will not only pass on the imports I'M
der the meat inspection law, but will
seize bad meat or adulterated or mis-
branded meat once it enters interstate
commerce The new power comes to
the department by the revocation OF
regulation No. 10 of the rules and
regulations.
The revocation of regulation 80
now gives the department of agri-
culture the power to treat meats and
meat food products exactly like any
other food in interstate commerce.
The change, However, in no way inter
feres with the powers of the depart
ment of agriculture conducted under
the meat inspection law. 1t simply
brings meat under the food act, as
well as under the meat inspection
n, and thus gives the government
control over meat foods, not only in
the federaily inspected establish
ments, but after the meat product
has left such establishment on an in
terstate journey.
Under the meat inspection law, meat
inspectors have absolutely no power
to seize meat or meat food products
that have become bad or have been
adulterated after they have left fed
orally inspected establishment The
only remedy possible under the meat
act is to proceed criminally against
anyone selling bad meet, but even in
thfs event, bad meat cannot, be seized
nor its sale prevented.
The Department of agriculture can
now seize and prevent the sale of bad
or adulterated meat, once 1t has
crossed the state line and remains in
Interstate commerce In case spoiled
meat again reaches a federally m
spected establishment. it of course
comes under, the. jurisdiction of the
meat inspection law, and can be de-
stroyed, as heretofore has been done.
Under the new sdecision, the govern
ment can now control meat foods IN
interstate commerce from the hcof 10
the retailer, subject only to the lin1i
tations OF the poYer of the federal COY
ernment in interstate commerce. I'm
der the opinion of the attorney gen
eral, and the action of the three sec
retaries, ithe Department Of AgricuE
ture is empowered I'd require all man
ufactured meat products to conform
fully to it's labelling regulation, and
can enforce its penalties, prosecutions,
and seizures for misbranding and
adulteratfon. The definition of mis-
branding" under the food and drugs
act, is far more stringent than the
rule preventing the sale OF meat prod
ucts under false or deceptive name
under the meat inspection law. Sec
tiQn of the food and drugs act, to
which manufacturers of meat must
now conform, provides that the term
"misbranded" shall apply to "all arti
Giles of food, or articles which enter
into the composition Of food, the
package or label of which shall bear
any statement, design, or device re
garding such article, or the ingredi-
ents or substances contained therein,
which shall be false or misleading in
,any particular, and to any food prod
uet which is falsely branded as to the
state, territory, or country in which 1t
is manufactured or produced" The
Department of Agriculture. can now
also apply fully to meat products its
rules regarding statements as to
weight or volume or number of pieces
in a package, required of other foods.
A,committee has been appointed by