Republican farmer., 1919-05-16
LAW
 REDUCES FALSE LABELS ON FOOD

Washington, D. C., May 12.-Re- ports on more than $500 food and drug cases, including both criminal prosecutions and seizures terminated in the Federal courts, have been pub hshed in the form of Notices of Judgment since the enactment of the Federal Food and Drugs Act accord ing to a recent statement of the of hcials of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of Agri- culture. in charge of the enforcement of that law. This number represents only instances of fragrant misbrand ing or aduleration in which. in the opinion of the officials. it was neces sary to prosecute the party respon sible or seize the goods in order to check the practice. Thousands of other forms of minor misbranding. say the officials, have been corrected by serving notices on the parties re- sponsible without recourse to formal legal action. The food industries in many instances voluntarily have changed trade practices of long stand ing
 The violations of the act on which the court. actions were based cover nearly every food product from an-
 
 soft sardines from Maine as well as spoiled salmon from Washington; frozen oranges from California, as well sweated grapefruit from Por- to Rico. Prosecutions on patent medi- cines range from so-called sure cures for tuberculosis and influenza to candy cathartics and castor oil. IF the beverage line, cider as well as champagne, grape juice well as gin, water as well as wine. have been called to the bar-of the Federal courts-to show why they should not be poured into the sewer and thus diverted from the alimentary canal
 Finding Foods Adulterated.
 Contamination is one form of aduI- eration which covers a large nun3ber of violations. and is due principally to carelessness or lack of knowledge of proper methods for preparing, handling, shipping, and storing per ishable foods, as is the case with milk having a high bacterial count; spoiled fish, rotten eggs. swelled can ned goods. decomposed tomato plup, and putrid meat.
 The food specialists have done ex- tensive experimen work in deveI- oping methods for preparing and handling perishable foods, and in aiding manufacturers, shippers and dealers to apply those methods in a practical way. The marked improve ,nent in the methods of handling rerfshable foods during recent years has been due, in the opinion of the food officials, as much to the experi- mental and educational work as to the regulatory action under the Food and Drugs Act
 Substituting a cheaper article of food in whole or in part for a more expensive one is a favorite form of adulteration which in some instances relieves the pocketbook without in jury to health, and leaves the pur- chaser none than wiser In many instances of this form of aduleration. however, the substituted ingredient has less food value or nutritive ma terfal than the genuine article Such forms of substitution include the ad- ditfon of ground pepper shells to pep per: chtcory to coffee; dilute aceti: acid to cider vinegar: distilled vine gar to cider or sugar vinegar; glue to gelatine; and artificial extract to vanilla flavor. The milk man is not the only visitor to ehe punip or hy- drant. Added water or excessive moisture has been found in oysters. fruit juices, canned goods vinegar and grains, and even in dried apples as we'll as in other food products.
 Tho cases in which 1t was charged that ingredients harmful to health had been deliberately added to the foods are few in number The Fed eral Food and Drugs Act specifically prohibts the addition of such inered- tents to food products. The use of harmful preservatives is unnecessary y,I
 prosecution or injury to the reputa- ton of their product by adding sub stances held to be harmful to health Harmful ingredients in food are us- ually acquired by the developmenr Of harmful bacteria from contamtna- ton, or harmful Ingredients acct- dentally acquired during the procese of manufacture, as, for instance. zinc copper, and arsenic from utensils or materials used in tho manufacture of ge1atine.
 Food Falsely Labeled.
 The forms of miHbranding ranee from deliberate statements as to the nature of the product, as. for fn- stance. labelling a fow-grade. cheaD conee with the name of a higher and more expensive grade. such sG Mocha or Java, to subtle designs and devices -. NAAc PAaCAuS Ou d tE1n .O1 COttOnS6ad OH labeled merely Salad Ofl'' the picture of an olive tree and a man of Italy, in order to convey the irnpres- sion that the product is olive oil from Italy.
 Among other forms of misbrandine Of foods may be mentioned the label Ing of distilled vinegar as apple cider vinegar; the labelling of macaroni as being of foreign manufacture when if was made in the United States: the labelling of apples as New York State apples when they were grown in other States; the labelling of synthetic m ethyl salicyIate as oil of birch; the misbranding of lake herring as white fish; the labelling of preserves as be- Ing composed of loganberries and sugar syrup, when the, product act Ially contained approximately 25 per cent. of glucose; and the labelling of an artificial flavor as pure as vanilla extract.
 Foods in package form are also misbranded as to the quantity in the packages. Shortage in weight of nea- sure as stated on ths labels, or the absence of any statement regard ing the Quantity of the contents. was