The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-15


Gals as much to the experimental
and educational work as to the regu-
,atarv action under the food and drugs
act.
Snhstituting n cheaper article OF
food in whale nr in part for a more
rXpensive one is favorite form OF
adnlteration which in some instances
relieves the pckettook without INJURY
Ia health, and leaves the purchase.
none the wiser. In many instances or
this form OF adulteration, however.
the substituted ingredient has less
faod value or nutritive material tnan
.bo Genuine article. Such forms OF
constitution include the addition or
ground pepper shells TO pepper.
chicory to coffee: dilute acetic acld
10 cider vinegar distilled vinegar 70
cider or sugar vinegar: glue 10 geia-
tu,~s~and artificial extract to vaniiia
favor. The m,lkman is not the only
visitor to the pump or hyorah@
Aadc{i water or excessive IN oisture mas
nee. found in oysters. fruit Juices.
canned goods, vinegar. and grains
sad even in dried apples as well As IN
other food products.
The cases in which IT was charged
hat ingredients harmful to health had
becn deliberately added TO FOODS are
f.u IN number The federal food and
drugs act specifically prohibits the
addition OF such ingredients to 1000
PRODUCTS. The use OF harmful pre-
e~rvatives Is unnecessary ana re"
manufacturers care to risk prosecu- .
lion or injury to the reputation OF
,he,r product by adding substances
held 70 be harmful to health. Harm :
fu, ingredients in food are usually
acquired by the development OF harm
M, bacteria from contamination. or
harmful ingredients ac0dentaily
occurred during the process OF manu-
facture, as. for instance, zinc. copper.
and arsenic from utensils or materials
used in the manufacture OF gelatine.
Food Falsely Labeled. --
The forms OF naisbrandinE range
from a deliberate false statements as
10 the nature OF the product. as. for
instance. labelling a low-grade. cheap
coffee with the name Ct a higher and
more expensive grade. such as Mocha
or lava, to subtle designs and devices,
as the placing on can OF cottonsceo
al labeled merely Salad orr the pic
-tttre of an olive tree and map OF
Italy, in order to convey the impress
an that the product is olive Oil from
italy.
Aronr other forms OF misbranding
ar foods may be mentioned the LABEL
,uc OF distilled vinegar as apple cider
vinegar. the labelling OF macaront as
hiring OF foreign manufacture when
II was made In the United States the
lahefng of apples as New York state
apples when the, We're grown In other
states: the labelling of synthetic methyi
salicylatc as oil Of birch; the mis-
branding OF lake herring as white
nsh. the labelling Of preserves as be
ing composed of loganberries and
sugar strip. when the product, actual
IL contained approximately IS per cent
Of glucose: and the labelling OF an
artificial flavor as pure vanilla ex-
tract.
Foods in package form are also mis-
branded rs TO the quantity in the
packages. Shortage in weight or
measure as stated on the labels, or
the absence of any statement regard
ing the quantity of the contents. was
he basis OF a charge for misbrandins
In several Of the food cases.
Misbrand:ng in its various forms Is
ai,ned usually to convey the impress
sion that the article is of a higher
,rade or more expensive than it ac-
tuallv Is. AS a dishonest clothing
merchant will sometimes brand-as
nj wool-c.oth which is mixture OF
wool and cotton. 30 the dishones,
GOOD manufacturer or merchant at
times tries to pass off his cheaper
foods under the name of higher priced
ones. Misoranded foods which are
not also adulte,ated may be whole
come and nutritious, but the pur-
! chasers are misled as to the quality
NJ quantity and are induced in many
instances 20 pay a higher price than
he articles are worth. As a'result
Z the operations OF the food and
{ rugs act there is today much less
.@isbranding in foods than in any
-r,tAeF-general class of merchandise
sold to the public.
ProfS ietAry Medicines.
The charge in the majority OF the
more than 500 patent and proprietary
medicine cases included In the notices
~ Judgment was based on false and
fraudulent statements on the labels a
10 The therapeutic or curative powers
Of the preparations Worthless prepa-
rations carried claims on tho labels
~ curative powers for such dangerous
diseases, as tuberculosis. diphtheria
scarlet fever, typhoid fever and In
4 fuensA. ~ we'll AZ for = host Of lenl
NJ 80 al fnlax1lna.