Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-05-05
Eggs Come Under Federal Food Act

Eggs Come Under Federal Food Act.
The United States department of
agriculture has decided to apply the
federal food and drug act to eggs in
the shell and hereafter egg shippers
will be compelled to closely candle
their eggs, as under a ruling just is
sued by the department, egg dealers
who ship more than per cent of bad
eggs in interstate commerce will be
subject to prosecution under the food
and drug act of 1906.
According to the department of ag-
riculture, it is now commercially prac-
ticable to eliminate from any given
shipment most of the eggs coming
under the ban, by the system of can
ding. Retail merchants in the small
er towns who make practice of buy
ing eggs from farmers and shipping
to commission men in the cities, will
be compelled to keep close watch
on all shipments and see that the
eggs are closely candled in order to
avoid trouble with the government.
Here is the full text of the ruling Of
the department:
The department of agriculture has
had under consideration for 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 rejects" from can
ding rooms. Current receipts" con-
tain at different seasons of the year
varying proportions of eggs which are
filthy, decomposed, or putrid. IRE
jects" from Gambling rooms, as rule,
contain large proportions of eggs
which are filthy, decomposed, or pu-
trid, and very small proportions of
eggs suitable for consumption.
Under the federal food and drugs
act, eggs, in common with other arti-
Giles of food, are adulterated if they
consist wholly or in part of a filthy,
decomposed, or putrid substance. Sec
ton 2 of the act prohibits the ship
ment in interstate commerce of foods
which are adulterated and it 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 OF
in part of a filthy, decomposed, OF
putrid substance, are adulterated.
The Investigations of the depart
ment have shown that it is CONNER
cially practicable, by the method Of
Gambling, to eliminate from any giver
shipment most of the eggs of the
kinds which the department regards
as adulterated. 1t is not the practice
of the department, however, to bast
proceedings under the food and drugs
act on shipments of eggs unless there
are present larger percentages of ba(
eggs than are ordinarily present il
recognized commercial grades of can
died eggs. The department is in
formed that cases of eggs are no
allowed to receive even the loves
candled egg grades if the cases con
tain more than one and one-half doz
en- or per cent of bad eggs. Coun
try shippers who are not certain o
the freshness of their eggs SHOULD
candle them before shipping them il
interstate commerce.
Eggs which are adulterated may b.
shipped in interstate or foreign com
merce for use in tanning or othe
technical ways without violating tn
provisions of the food and drugs &C
only if they are first denatured s.
as to render them incapable of beinI
used for food. Since it is impractics
BILE to denature eggs in the shell
adulterated shell eggs must be broker
out and denatured prior to shipment