American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1922-03-10
Be Careful Says
Canning Expert
Miss Amy Kelly Advises Regarding
Preparation of Canned Foods
Warns Against -Carlessness In Seal
ing-Tells How to Detect Impurities.

Miss Amy Kelly, head Of the home
demonstration department of the ex-
tension work of the agricultural de-
partment of the state university. ! n a
circular issued to all county agents on
the danger from spoiled canned foods,
calls attention to the fact that there
is a decided danger, even death, in
canned foods that are not in good con-
dition, and in her circular letter says:
Il wish to again call your attention
to the care that should be taken n
regard to the use of canned vegetables
in the home.
Two years AGO., when there was a
case of botulinus poisoning in Boise,
Idaho. 1 asked you to urge the public
to boil all canned vegetables before
serving. Because of the recent case of
food poisoning at Cambridge, Idaho, 1
am again asking you to publish in all
your local papers the following from
the Farmers Bulletin No. 1911:
Il. Make 1t the absolutely variable
rule never to can any vegetable or
fruit not in first class condition; that
is do not can food which is slightly
moldy or specked, oversoft, or @just
ready to SPOIL or partly rotted. Cut
NAh6 " ~ OOAb oPObo anu ubAn6 III
rest for canning may prove very poor
economy in the end.
"2. Give all canned food a careful
and rigid inspection at the time the
can or jar is opened, and discard any
material having an unusual appear
ancea or odor, without even tasting il.
1t is a precaution to notice the odor of
the vegetable while it is boiling for an
ndnr co c1foht &C 80 he Yr.u1ksa1I xuLsIo
the vegetable a is could may be
quite ~preceived when intensimied by
heating.
"3 Boil the food as it m from
the can before tasting it. In this type
of poisoning, fortunately, most bacter-
biologists believe that it is not neces-
sary to destroy every bacterial spore,
but rather the toxin or poison formed
by the growth of the bacteria. which
is a much easier matter. 1t must be
clearly understood, however, that this
does not warrant us in boiling spoil
ed food and then consuming it.
"A. The final disposal of canned
goods which have spoiled, or are sus-
pected of spoilage, is a matter of real
importance. Chickens and other ami
mails have often been fatally poisoned
by eating such spoiled materials. Even
worse than this danger is the POSSIBLE
ity of spreading the bacillus botulinus
Tor possibly other dangerous spores)
through the soil. With such consider
alton in mind it would seem that in
fictitious material, such as the dis
charges from a typhoid or tubercular
patient or the carcass of an animal
which had died of anthrax, that is to
say, they should be burned, or, if that
is impracticable, they should be boiled
for an hour with some efficient disin-
fectant in order to be sure that all
dangerous spores are destroyed. Bury
ing them deeply in the soil with a gem
erous covering of quicklime will pre-
vent the poisoning of domestic ami
mails andmay have some influence in
preventing infection of the soil with
a highly dangerous organism"
Will you please see that informa-
ton reaches all your local newspspera
at an early date and is given as much
widespread publicity as is possible?
Very truly yours,
AMY KELLEY.