Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-06-21
w atching All
Canned Foods
by Frederic J. Haskin

| tefnatic ipgprctions of all the food factor
les IN the United States At this time
the canning plants, which arc just enter
ing upon their busiest rcason are the
subject of special investigation
Although the alarms about ground
glass and poisons IN food have al proved
baseless upon investigation, no chances
ARE being taken with regard 10 the cnor-
| nous supply Of canned foods which Is
| nov being Jared for the use of the army
and the civilian population during the
coming winter II - estimated that no
less than seven billion cans of food will
be put mp by the commercial Gamers
las distinguished from home Gamers
IN the nited States this year This Is
billion more cans Of food than have been
put up IN any previous year
In order 10 insure the purity If this
preat food supply, aud the safety Of the
| factories in which if is being prepared,
| government inspectors arc now visiting
| every canncry in the country Their
Investigations include sanitary conditions,
the character Of the employees. the method
Of selecting them, and the precautions
which arc taken 10 prevent sabotage.
The Gamers, and operators II food
| factories generally arc forbidden 10 adj
init any visitors or other unauthorized
| persons to their plants. Even govern
nent oflcia ~ uniform must show proper
credentials before he can enter
4 srAHcHrSG PRoBE.
The operators Of food factories are
further required - examine into the
antecedenta If everY employee, and IN
| those departments where damage could
be most easily done. az IN the making ~
syrups IN he cannrries, only American
CITIZENS Of known loyalty arr allowed TO
be employed
Special precautions against damage b
fire are being aiken in ali If these factories
Insurance company regulations must be
| rigldly carried out and proper fire fighting
apparatus must he Installed IN every
| actory FIRE drills arc hold regularly
These precautions are all in recognition
| of the fact that alien enemies in this
country arc conducting systematic ram
paigns against orr food supply IN two ways
hv sabotage, Or the destruction Of
property. and bv putting pol-ons Or other
| deieterlous substances ~ foods There
/ has undoubtedly been Some destruction
| u factory property due - these alien
enemy activities All If the poison
scares winch have been traced down by
the government secret services however
have proven Rroundless BIT from now
| on ~ chances are to be taken orr food
| factorIes arc to 10 as closely guarded o.
our n1nti0n works
Another effect of var upon The canning
industry Rll hc 10 limit the amount ~
.ag used The Gamers have agreed
Use ono pound less ~ sugar than usual
g. every c8sc If canned fruits II
/ >tated that the average consumer H1il
not IT, able t. tell tho difference n taste
/ uhIIc ten million pounds II sugar nill ~
sawed IL tbs va
riir CROUCH" d. kHstr.
peculiar angie Of The var fo9d -lf-
Hs1fan i the prejudice nhich ha- grown
+ ip against the use ~ saaerkraaf I'D
! excellent preparation IF cabbage has al-
ways been regarded in this e9tlntrT IS
+ German dish and many persons nave
/ dcc1ied That i Is Inpatrlotc d eat q
i Th) regarded by ne canning .nds9trv
+! aaG' tit TODD administration ms
fortgue. .or 4aucrkraut u one ai thc
i cheapest md post ri winter vegetable
i proportions L would be more logical
- fs-r tie German aauerkraut in the
night against Germany. as Germany has
tI>cd - american submarine against -
10 qac' those Wh0 are proglcIeed against
anefhug bearing Il t,erfuan name. nov
eyer Ii NAV te -ald fnat saI"rhraflt +
really Of Dutch origin
Dor Il ftme Ii lookrd A. though nned
goods woai be scarce during he war nc-
cause 81 ire scarcity OF tn plate but I
stated that tac tln plate committee II
tie EltIn4>iratleu aId tie National
auner> Association have now solved
the problem 81 4 supply .; TIN. Formerly
+ ali al tie TIN ore aauc from the straits
i Settlements. and il vi, ne sinking Of
: several vessels loaded witn TINS metal
+ which caused the shortage 81 year ago
although the cause VAS not made public
at the Tune The situation Was further
! complicated by labor troubles at the
STRAITS supplies are now coming n
:. regularly from that source, however, and
/ TN deposits n Peru are being developed
i the ore being sIueted in this country
There have been numerous attempts
] to find substitute Tor the tin can. and
/ some excellent containers Of porcelain,
] glass and paper nave been evolved by
i the Bureau 81 Standards While these
ma be used for food products which were
! formerly put up IN IN, none u them will
! take the place oI the so-called TIA can for
i the preserving OF fruits, vegetables aad
| other perIshaDle products These fcods
| are ~terlhzed. after bclpg canned. by
immersion in very hot water and 40 rou-
tanner Will stand the heat except he steel
can coated with tin.
HUGE TN CONSUMPTION.
Four-hfths Of all the TN cans used ia
! the world are made IN the United states.
bat nearly all Of the TN. coming from the
straits Settlements, i controlled by the
British government X Is shipped -
this country II the form Of pig TN
The development OF The Peruvian mines
max make the American TN plate industry
independent Of the British supply in
addition to bringing he smelling industry
to tins country
Another wartime hardship q the ral.-
nIng industry IS that il cannot obtain
any olive oil for use III preserving fish
Oils are 50 badly needed II Europe that
II is considered bad policy for US to en-
port oil from Italy and Spain Accord
| ingly sardines will be pu tup tins year in
tt,Y,-,,A pg,,,,