Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-07-04
LAW REQUIRES CLEAN
FOOD CONTAINERS
New Bill Requires Dairy
Product Containers To
Be Returned in San
itary Condition.

0OfCll1OL AAo
nature to a law which will produce
something Of a sensation among Ice
cream nsnm when it's provisions
become known. The law is a very
short one but it covers wide ground,
for it directly affects the housewife
who purchases a pint OF milk in a
bottle and reaches drastically to the
retailers of ice cream who purchase
the cream from manufacturers. The
law was enacted or amended chiefly
to reach ice cream users who fail to
thoroughly cleanse containers in
which they receive the cream, or who
fail to return the containers within
Y hours.
The law will be enforced by the
state dairy and food department and
Commissioner Weigle announces that
it will be strictly enforced. Mr..
Weigle says that beside the loss an
nually in ice cream and milk con
tanners, which reaches many thous-
ands Of dollars from the destruction
by acids of the containers, that are
allowed to stand empty without
cleansing, the filthy practice endan-
gers the health and life Of people
who use milk or ice cream
The chief offenders against whom
the law is aimed are the big retailers
of ice cream, but a reading Of the
text of the law which follows will
make clear that the family that buys
a quart of ice cream for Sunday din
ner, or that buys milk in BOTTLES,
may find itself prosecuted for a fail
ure to return thoroughly clean the
~container, and then the other fire.
quent offenders against the law
that will find themselves promptly
prosecuted if they continue to offend
are the small grocery, drug and con-
f~ectionery stores that sell ice cream.
Particularly in small cities and vii
lagos are these stores careless. Any
one who has stood on a railway station
platform and caught the vile odors
from the filthy cans, a realise to
what extent this class of retailers
offend against decency and the law.
Here is the full text of the new law
which is Chapter 1888 Of the laws Of
1919:
Amy person, firm or corporation,
who receives in cans, BOTTLES, or
lother vessels any milk, or cream, or
other dairy product.....to be manu-
featured into food for man, or for the
purpose of resale.....When such cans,
BOTTLES, or vessels are to be returned,
shall cause the said cans, BOTTLES, or
other vessels to be thoroly washed
and cleansed, ......and shall return or
cause the same to be delivered tova
common carrier for shipment to the
owner thereof, within seventy-tWo
hours after the containers is re-
mOVed.'
Sat first thought there would
seem to be little connection between
the work of this Office and a light ice
crop" said Dairy and Food Commits
sioner Weigle, s'but it is a fact that
the partial failure of the ice crop in
Wisconsin last winter has greatly in
creased our work. Everywhere deal
ers in perishable food products are
forced to economic in the use of ice,
and it becomes the duty of the dairy
and food department. to see to it that
food is not thus permitted TO deteri-
crate. Especially is this true in the
case of meat markets and grocery
stores.
"The quantities of ice used in the
larger city markets amount each
season to an enormous total, and
everywhere there is a disposition to
reduce the amount. This department.
cannot, of course, cover all the meat
markets and grocery stores of the
state but our inspectors are actively
at work every day, and in addition
we are suggesting to all dealers in
perishable food products to exercise
special care themselves that no
tainted food be sold.
"This department emphasizes with
dealers in food products what we call
the sc maxim They are urged to
keep their merchandise cool, clean
and covered"