Evening star., 1925-07-21

sure the delivery of products in sound
condition 10 the consumers house
hold.
He should 90 stiH further and
demonstrate 10 that household thst
the final responsibility for the I'M
wholesomsne ess of the food consumed
ests directly upon the knowledsc
and discretion of the person who pre-
pares il foT the table. 1t has become
more and more evident that food poi
soning outbreaks are not visitation
of Providence but evidence OF gross
careiessness on the part of those who
handle the food
1t is incorrect To assume that meats
are more dangerous through improp
er handling than vegetables and
fruits, says DR. Thorn In the booE
above mentioned. it is stated on page
%.
THE following observations are
significant. The temperature of the
spinach as gathered was about 80 f.
The initial load of micro organisms.
bacteria, yeasts and mold spores, as
demonstrated by culture. was half to
three quarters of a million, including
f-about 100 heat resistant anaerohic
bacterial spores to the gram. With
out attaching significance to the par
ucular figures. asparagus, peas.
beans and berries would show sim
| liar load of contamination.
After standing in a laboratory at
! 10 to 50 F. for - hours the spinach
showed a temperature of about sS F.,
which in every case is higher than
! that Of the room. In that "A hours
the number of bacteria jumped Z"
/ about 100, 900 900 The spinach. firm
and crisp as received, showed willing
on the surface of the mass and was
wet in the center.
I'm other samples, which were held
| in cold storage over the first night.
no such changes occurred.
| In As hours at room temperature
the bacteria figures jumped TO any
number between 500 900 900 to 2,000,
| 900 0000-according to conditions in the
| sample. A test of the air distributed
| through the mass showed high per
| centage of carbon dioXide. The in
| terror of the mass of spinach had be
| come Shiny with a definitely off odor.
A third day merely added to the Of
| fensiveness of the condition. Together
! with the rise in the general bacteria
/ count there was a progressive in
crease of heat resistant spores, which
would add tremendously to the diff
| culties of sterilization. What hap
/ pened in the experimental spinach is
! typical of the general course of
! changes in perishable foodstuffs held
under unfavorable conditions.
The whole series of plant activi-
! ties and of agents of spoilage are
slowed down by chilling. In this way
il is possible TO lengthen very greatly
the period within which handling is
safe and practicable. $ IL is Safe
J to say that there are products now
neglected in which such control il
worth serious consideration by both
producer and manufacturer"
1t is indisputsbIe that the air l.
ever filled with bacteria. including
both beneficent varieties and disease
producing kinds. Any beam of sun
/ light in a dark room displays il filled
| with floating dust. and this dust is
/ prevalent throughout all air. In the
closing pages of the official book above
quoted, from the Bureau of Chemistry.
| is found this summing up:
'"rhe retail marketing of quickly
decompoeable products, such as fresh
| meat and fish, shellfsh and milk, de-
mands adequate refrigeration to stop
or delay bacterial or enzymic changes.
Products of this group should not be
exposed in trays, on counters or racks
at ordinary. household temperatures.
Fowls, carcasses or parts of carcasses
should not be hung outside the doors
of markets. Exposures of all kinds
should be reduced to the minimum
necessary for the exhibit and sale of
the product. The requirement that
display cases be glass-covered and
iced is becoming more and more gem
eral. The exclusion of flies. vermin
of all kinds, reduction of contact with
the air, the hands and other sources
of dirt and bacteria contamination is
amply justified by the evidence that
all of these may reach the consumer
in such food products. Prompt re-
moval of refuse of all kinds is impera-
| tive in the preFeption: Of +fLui- odoes9
: tCopyrigit. Ns5. hy. PauIv. coIIinsl