Milford chronicle., 1916-03-10

eheWGa 6y AN0eGCAboHAs
Washington, D. c., March "A rul-
| ing which probably will be regarded as
of the utmost Importance by shippers in
all sections of the country, was prOmul-
gated by the Department of Agriculture
this week. The announcement is as fol-
lows:
"The Department Of Agriculture has
had under consideration tor some time
the application of the Federal Food and
Drugs Act to the shipment in interstate
commerce of eggs in the shell, especially
the two classes of eggs known in the
trade as current receipts and as re-
jects' from Gambling rooms. Current
receipts contain at different seasons of
the year varying proportions of eggs
which are filthy, decomposed or putrid.
Rejects from Gambling rooms, as a
rule, contain large proportions of eggs
which are filthy, decomposed or putrid,
and very small proportions of eggs suit
able for consumption.
under the Federal Food and Drugs
Act, eggs, in common with other articles
of food, are adulterated if they consist
wholly or in part of filthy. decomposed
or putrid substance. Section of the
<AIA NAG III lulGEHldlt
commerce of foods which are adulter-
ated and 1t is plain that this prohibition
applies to the shipment in interstate
commerce of current receipts or of
rejects from Gambling rooms or of any
other grade of eggs in the shell unless
the filthy, decomposed or putrid eggs
have been removed.
In the opinion of the department,
eggs which contain yOlks stuck to the
shell, moldy eggs. black spots, mixed
rOts, added eggs, black rots. and any
other eggs which consist wholly or ia
part of filthy, decomposed or putrid
substance, are adulterated.
The investigations Of the department
have shown that it is commercially prae-
tIcable, by the method Of Gambling, to
eliminate from any given shipment most
of the eggs of the kinds which the de-
partment regards as adulterated. 1t is
not the practice of the department,
however. to base proceedings under the
Food and Drugs Act on shipments of
eggs unless there are present larger
percentages of bad eggs than are ordi-
narily present in recognized commercial
grades Of candled eggs. The department
is informed that cases of eggs are not
allowed to receive even the lowest can
lied egg grades if the eggs contain more !
than one and one-half dozen or 5 per |
cent of bad eggs. Country shippers who |
are not certain of the freshness of their
eggs should candle them before shipping
hem in interstate commerce.
Eggs which are adulterated may be
ihipped in interstate or foreign COM
nerce for use in tanning or other tech
lical ways without violating the pro-
'isions of the Food and Drugs Act only 1
they are first penatured so as to rem
Ter them incapable of being used for
God. Since it is impracticable to dena-
ure eggs in the shell, adulterated shell
ggs must be broken out and denatured
lrior to shipment The views of the
apartment with respect to the denatur-
ng of eggs are stated in Bureau of
Service and Regulatory An
ouncements No. Z, paragraph l9. and
70. IL, opinion 102.
The above ruling is the result of a
Meeting between DR.. Alsberg, chief of
he Food and Drugs department. several
f his assistants, and officers of the Ma
ional Poultry, Butter and Egg Associa-
ion, which was held in Chicago Febru-
ry Is. The department representatives
ave been contemplating such a move
Or some time and asked the national
ssociation to meet with them before a
nal decision was made.