South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-21
FISH PACKING IN
MAINE IMP ROVES,
SAY SPECIALISTS
Laboratory Methods Showing
Advantage of Improved San
itary Methods Given as the
Cause for General Cleanup.

WASHINGTON. May 21.-The pack
OF American sardtnes during the past
season was improved 33 per cent in
quality. according 10 the food special
lists OF the United States department
Of agriculture who have been conduct
ing an experimental laboratory at
Eastport. Me-, during the past two
packing seasons. This has been
brought about by the fact that the
demonstrations in the laboratory nave
shown the Maine Gamers the adFan-
tage OF improved methods ana OF
striving 20 make quality sardine 10
meet the demand for better class OF
goods which the wars interference
with imports has largely increased.
Before the laboratory was established
the Maine packers were competing
bitterly amongst themselves in an eff
fort to produce "A can of goods that
could be sold at some profit for the
low prices then offered by the job
bers and the wholesalers. Under
such conditions the packing estaO-
Iishments naturally had tendency TO
work for speed rather than quality In
packing.
Under the old form OF competition
some Of the packers paid very little
attention 10 the character or size OF
the fish and some at times packed
alewives. silver bake and smelt as
we'll as the small herring which is the
American sardine. They also ire
ouentIy packed what were known as
'feedv" fish. These were fish that had
fed plentfully on a microscopic crust
acean and small shrimp.
When tho fish were packed with
their bodies full of this feed, changes
In the food had a tendency 20 soften
the flesh OF the fish with the result
that they broke before placing them
in the cans After the packers be-
gan 10 compete on a quality rather
than a cost basis a simple way OF do
ing away with "feedy" fish was en-
plOyed. All that is necessary is TO
leave the sardines for a short time
in the weirs in which they are caught,
until they can digest the shrimp ana
small crustaceans-
TenCency TO Over-Salt.
Another tendency under the former
hurried methods OF packing the fish
was to over-salt them or TO leave
them too long in brine in the boats
which bring them from the welrs. In
other cases the FISH were mutilated by
bad handling or kept so long before
cooking that they lost much of theli
flavor. Excessive sailing also De
stroyed the delicate flavor of the hsh
and made them salt fish" rather
methods the boats are equipped with
better tanks and care is being taken
10 get the fish quickly 10 the packers
md into the steam cooker or fryer In
good condition.
In preparing the fish for the cans
especiallv in the case OF small nsh,
there was a tendency. because OF the
haste. to pull their heads off with
fingers instead of cutting them prop
erlv with shears. This pulling or
shipping" as il is called, frequently
left portions of the hard gills OF the
fish in the can and these gills ire
ouently separated from the fish, leaV-
ing inedible portions in the oil and
giving it an undesirable look. Under
the new competition in quallty, nsh
are being brought 20 the packing
houses in much better conditions and
are being handled there much more
carefully 80 as to get them into the
cans i'm as nearly perfect condition as
possible.
Factories Are Cleaner.
The most marked Improvement.
however. has been the interest the
packers have taken in cleaning UP
their factories especially in seeing
that flakes on which the fish are
dried. the steam cookers. and the
other machinery for handling and
canning. are kept in good condition.
Under the old system not only the
condition of the floors but of the
tables as well. was frequently disre-
Earded This year practically every
factory in Maine has cleaned its
floors and put its tables and other
working equipment in such shape
that a clean product can be pro
duced.
The factories arc also prohibiting
the throwing around of refuse and
reouirgin the cleaning up of floors and
other parts Of the factory as rapidly
as they are soiled. In the case of the
Nakes or wire-mesh frames on which
the fish are dried and then sent into
tho steam room. the greater atten-
+ion 10 cleanliness has had marked
effect on the appearance OF the can
NOD product. Under the old system
when these flakes were not always
cleaned after each run, parts or the
cooked fish chung 10 the meshes. IL
was found that these fragments oi
FISH and the condition of the flakes
made il practically impossible 10 pro
duce a can Of caTdines IN clear, cream
oil. as the fragments on the flakes
would stick 10 the new fish ana coloi
the oil IN the can. During the laS'
season practically all of the packers
paid marked attention To these mat
ters with the result that this year 5
product i'm quality OF fish and OIL Is
held by experts and by the trade 70
be far superior 20 the previous runs