The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-24
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
IN FORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. Director.
- WASHINGTON. d. C.
PROTECTING CANNED FOODS.
Washington. D. c.

government is now conducting system
attic inspections of all the food fac
tories in the United States. At this
time the canning plants, which are
just entering upon their busiest sea-
son. are the subject of a special in
vestigation.
Altho the alarms about ground glass
and poisons in food have all proved
groundless upon investigation, no
chances are being taken with regard
to the enormous supply of canned
foods which is now being prepared for
the use of the army and the civilian
population during the coming winter.
1t is estimated that no less than seven
billion cans of food will be put up by
the commercial Gamers Gas distin-
guished from home canners) in the
United States this year. This is a
billion more cans OF food than have
been put up in any previous year.
In order to insure the purity of this
great food supply. and the safety OF
the factories in which it is being pre-
pared, government inspectors are now
visiting every -cannery in the country
Their investigations include sanitary
conditions, the character of the en-
ployes, the method of selecting them,
and the precautions which are taken
to prevent sabotage. The Gamers, the
operators of food factories generally
are forbidden to admit any visitors or
other unauthorized persons to their
plants. Even government official IN
uniform must show proper credentials
before he can enter. The operators of
food factories are further required to
examine into the antecedentS of every
employee, and in those departments
where damage could be most easily
done, as in the making of syrups IN
the canneries, only American citizens
of known loyalty are allowed to be
employed.
Special precautions against damage
by fire are being taken in all or these
factories. Insurance company regula-
tions must be rigidly carried out. and
proper fire fighting apparatus must be
installed in every factory. Fire drills
are held regularly.
These precautions are all in recog-
milton of the fact that alien enemies In
this country are conducting systematic
campaigns against our food supply IN
two ways-by sabotage, or the de-
struction of property, and by putting
poisons or other deleterious substances
in foods. There has undoubtedly been
some destruction of factory property
due to these alien enemy activities. All
of the poison scares which have been
traced down by the government secret
services. however. have proven
groundless. But from now on no
chances are to be taken; our food fac
tories are to be as closely guarded as
our munition works.
Another effect of war upon the can
ming industry will be to limit the
amount of sugar used. The Gamers
have agreed to use one pound less of
sugar than usual to every case of
canned fruits. 1t is stated that the
average CONSUMER will not be able to
tell the difference in taste, while ten
million pounds of sugar will be saved
in this way.
A peculiar angle of the war food sit.
uation is the prejudice which has
grown UP against the use of sauer-
kraut. This excellent preparation of
cabbage has always been regarded in
this country as a German dish, and
many persons have decided that It is
unpatriotic to eat sauerkraut. This is
regarded by the canning industry, and
the food administration as a misfor-
tune, for sauerkraut is one of the
cheapest and best of winter vegetable
preparations. It would be more logi-
cal to use the German sauerkraut in
the Fight against Germany, as Ger
many has used the American subma-
rine against US. To quiet those who
are prejudiced against anything bear
ing a German name, however, it may
be said that sauerkraut is really of
Dutch origin.
For a time It looked as tho canned
goods would be scarce during the war
because of the scarcity of tin plate;
but it is stated that the tin plate COM
mittee of the food administration and
the National Gamers association have
now solved the problem of supply of
tin. Formerly all of the tin ore came
from the Straits Settlements, and it
was the sinking of several vessels load
ed with this metal which caused the
shortage of a year ago-altho the
cause was not made public at the time
The situation was further complicated
by labor troubles at the Straits Sup
plies are now coming in regularlyefrom
that source, however, and tin deposits
in Peru are being developed, the ore
being smelted in this country
There have been numerous at
tempts to find substitute for the tin
can, and some excellent containers of
porcelain, glass and paper have been
evolved by the bureau of standards.
Whlle these may be used for food
products which were formerly put up
in tin, none of them will take the
place of the so-called tin can for the
preserving of fruits, vegetables and
other perishab1e products. These foods
are sterilized, after being canned, by
immersion in very hot water, and no
container will stand the heat except
the steel can coated with tin
Four-fifths of all the tin cans used
IN the world ere made in the United
states but nearly all of the tin, COM
ing from the Straits Settlements. is
GoHlrolieo py the British government.
II is shipped to this country in the
form of pig tin" The DEVELOPMENT
or the, Peruvian mines may make the
American tin plate industry independ-
ent of the British supply, in addition
TO bringing the smelling industry to
this country.
another wartime hardship of the
canning industry is that it cannot OBJ
tain any olive oil for use in preserv-
ing Ilsn. Oils are so badly needed in
europe that it is considered bad pol
icy for us to import oil from Italy and
Spain Accordingly, sardines will be
put up this year in cottonseed oil. and
also in some new oils which are now
pelng made for the first time from
the kernels of peaches, apricots and
cherries.
The canning of perishable foods is
great seasonal industry. It is well
under way now in the south. Peas and