The Detroit times., 1914-12-03
SIGNS THATFOOD
and DRUG FIGHT
MAY BE RENEWED
Result of New Federal Laws De-
signed to Prevent Unfair
Competition"
ROW MADE BY USERS
OF BENZOATE OF SODA
Say Those Who Don't Use II
Suggest Unfair Implication
by Stating Fact on Label

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.--There is
promise OF another large eruption in
the food and drugs trade as a result
OF the commission law and the Clay
ton bill designed TO prevent unfair
competition Lawyers say II pre-
sents an opportunity for reopening
many OF the questions supposed 20
have been settled~bY- decisfops OF tho
Remsen board OF chemists and the
food and drugs inspection board or
the Taft administration. The Wilson
administration has made few changes
In those decisions.
The opportunity for renewing the
fight is TO be found in the advertising
matter put out by the different fac
tons In the two trades. While the
Remsen board held benZoate OF soda
TO be harmless In either large or small
quantities, the manufacturers who do
not use 1t so state on their labels,
while those who did not give II up
continue to state on their labels that
they use one-tenth OF one per cent,
but In view OF the fact that the Rem
sen board reported that it is not
harmful ii Is suggested that il is IL
legal to require manufacturers who
continue using IL TO state the fact
Indiana, notwithstanding the de-
cision OF the Remsen board, is trying
to prevent the sale OF food products
containing benzoate on the assump-
ton that 1t is harmful.
1t Is suggested that a charge OF
unfair competition will lie against
the manufacturers whose labels and
advertisements are so worded as to
convey the impression that benZoate
is harmful. II is contended that the
only object in declaring that benZo-
ate Is not used, Is to lead the con-
sumner to believe that benzoate is
harmful and therefore that unless The
manufacturer also declares that the
government has held 1t Is harmless
he Is employing an unfair method to
get business.
The Remsen board has decided also
that alum In baking powder is no
more harmful than cream of tartar
or acid phosphate or any other leav-
ening agent commonly used. The
manufacturers who do not use alum
make much OF the fact that they do
not. Those who do are expected to
make complaint TO the new trade cont
mission that the object In making the
declaration Is to trade upon the pop
ular nation that alum is harmful and
that the expose Is an unfair method
to gain trade.
The baking powder makers, how
ever, have more acrimonious night
than that, the details OF which will
probably be laid before the trade com
mission. One set uses egg albumen
In small quantities; the other does
not. Those who use the white or
eggs asserted that 1t increased the
leavening power of the powder and
fufy-haired young lady demoiIstrators
we're sent to the shops that sell bak-
ing powder to demonstrate" it, The
demonstrator would wet two spoon
fuls of powder containing no albumen,
IL sizzled little and remained inert.
Then she vets an equal or smaller
quantity of the albuminized powder
and, 10, its contents dubbed over the
sides OF the tumbler. The natural IN
ference would be that the alumenized
powder was the thing.
The non-albumen men convinced
the food authorities OF a number OF
states that the experiment meant
nothing more than that the albumen
formed an impervious coating over the
gas generated by the powder. and that
the gas simply lifted that cover that
In baking the impervious coat would