The Dolores star., 1918-11-22
Necessity of Maintaining Pre-
War Standards of Sanitation
Are Pointed Out.
SCA'CITY OF HELP BLAMED
Most Essential Factor in Health of
Nation Need Not Be Neglected Un-
der War Conditions-country
Store Bothersome.

Many grocery stores have fallen
away from pre-war standards of clean
illness, say officials of the bureau of
chemistry, United States department
N agriculture, in charge of the en-
forcement of the Federal Food and
Drugs Act. State and city inspectors
attribute this partly to scarcity of help
and to less efficient help.
Cleanliness in handling food is even
more important in times of war than
In times of peace, say the specialists,
In order that the maximum efficiency
of our army of fighters abroad and our
n'Ihy of workers at home may be main
tained. Clean stores not only promote
health, but prevent waste of food.
Ihat they can be kept clean under pre-
NallinS conditions Is shown by the fact
that some of the best stores are main
tanned in standards of cleanliness
which insure that the food they handle
VIII not be contaminated. This is evil
dence that this most essential factor
in the health of the nation need not be
neglected under war conditions.
The small country grocery is one of
the most difficult problems of the food
Inspector. The country store is both
collecting and distributing agency of
i"ods. 1t buys from the farmer such
products as eggs, poultry, nuts, fruits,
grains and vegetables and sells to him
everything In the food line not pro-
uuced in the community. 1t handles
l0od both coming and going. If the
store is dirty, with dust on the shelves
and cobwebs in the corners, with in
Sects and vermin under the counters
and in the bins, and with flies every
Where, the food both for the country
and for the city is sure to become con-
animated. When the country as
whole Is considered, the loss of food
through spoilage from contamination
IN unclean stores is enormous. The
most important consideration, how
ever, in the opinion of federal, state
ana city food officials, is the danger to
the health of the people who consume
The food. A dirty. insanitary store or
lood shop Is most potent factor in
the spread of disease.
Competition In Cleanliness.
Where there is keen competition,
cleanliness is more likely to prevail.
"A clean, well-lighted store attracts Gus
toners. The cost of scrupulOus clean
Hness Is more than Overbalanced by
me gain in the prevention of spoilage,
and by Its custom-drawing value.
Novel methods have been adopted by
state and city officials to bring about
competition in cleanliness. One state
mas reported excellent results from au-
'horizing the food inspectors TO issue
coiored placards to the stores ut the
Time of inspection indicating the de-
gree of cleanliness found. A store
which is found TO be in excellent con-
altion In cleanliness and sanitation Is
gwen white card; one in good condi-
,'oh Is given blue card, and one that
is satisfactory is given red card. A
store that falls below satisfactory
rating is not given card. This sys-
TEN resulted In much competition
among the merchants to get the high
est POSSIBLE rating in sanitation. The
housewives soon learned what the pln-
cards signified and did their buying
accordingly.