Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-22
CLEAN FOOD SHOPS.
Proper sanitation Essential for sue.
cessfuI Grocery store.

The food officials OF many States ara
giving attention to the sanitary cond-
ton OF country and city grocery stores,
according to the officials engaged in the
enforcement of the federal food and
drugs act who recently have investigated
the matter. The country store is both
collecting and distributing agency Of
foods. It sells foods of many kinds 10
the farmers and at the same time buys
from them for shipment to the city but
ter, eggs. fruits, vegetables, poultry, and
other products Of the farm II this
shelves and counters are laden with
dust, If cobwebs hang In every nook
and corner, if flies bugs, and vermn in
habit the place, the food products are
certain TO be more or less contaminated
and likely to become dangerous to health
The reports from various State officials
Indicate that many stores have been
found in the past to be in such a condi-
ton.
clean, light, differentiated store at
tracts customers, and the progressive
merchant needs other incentive to
keep his floor, shelves, and counters
spotlessly clean, which includes Screen
Ing from flies and the elimination Of
all other insects. Some storekeepers,
however, seem to require prodding from
food and health officials to induce them
to maintain that degree of cleanliness
which will insure that the food they
handle will be free from contamination.
Some OF the States have very effective
sanitary laws. which require frequent
inspection of all establishments where
foodstuffs put up, manufactured, Or
for oil
on the general provisions of pure-food
laws which require that foods shall bs
free from contamination. A few Of tho
States lack either law that will reach
the unclean-store nuisance or means for
| enforcing the law.
COOPERATE FOR CLEANLINESS.
State food and health officials have
used various means to control effectively
the sanitary condition Of places whers
foodstuffs are sold One OF the most ef-
fective means that has been employed
| is that of securing the cooperation Of
womens clubs and civic organizations.
When a delegation of women customers
calls upon merchant and suggests that
he clean up, he Is compelled to put his
| store in good condition and to keep Il
| so. When the grocerymen in town
| find that a large portion of the house,
keepers are buying only from the clean-
est stores. there arises a wholesome form
of competition A food inspector can,
under even the best conditions inspect
| a store but a few times during the year,
| because Of the number he has to visit.
The customers come every day, how
! ever. and when they act as unofficial
sanitary inspectors the merchant with
| the unclean store can not escape detec-
| ton and punishment in loss of trade.
| Competition in cleanliness has been
secured in one State by means of color
ed placards which the inspector gives
| the merchants who keep their stores In
a sanitary condition. store In excel
lent condition gets large white placard
and one in good condition gets red
| card: the store that falls below the
latter grading gets no card. The pro-
prietors are permitted to keep the pla-
cards posted in a conspicuous place as
long as the store Is kept in the condi-
ton represented. There is keen compe-
tition among the merchants to get and
keep the best placards. The buying
public knows what the different color
ed placards signify and are particularly
partial to the white placard stores. 9th
err States have adopted a score-card
system similar to that used in grading
diaries The inspector scores each store
where foodstuffs are sold according to
certain points indicated on an inspection
card The scores are made public
through the local press or by means OF
bulletins or circulars.
J STATE LAWS CONTROL STORE
: SANITATION.
The sanitary condition Of stores is sub
tect 10 State or local control The fed
eral food and drugs act has no jurisdic
ton over such matters. except as 10
foods and drugs sold in the district OF
Columbia, the territories, and lnsulai
possessions which are under the direc'
control OF the federal government. How
ever, If food becomes contaminated lr
an insanitary store or in any other man
ner and is afterwards shipped into IN
; terstate commerce, the party responsible
for the shipment may be prosecuted un
der the federal law and the contamin
ated food may be seized.
|