Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-28
Shipping the Pure Food Law.

1t may be no more th9n coincidence
that within a month from the death of
DR.. Harvey w. Wiley, the father, en-
forcer and defender of the pure food
law, an effort has been made to broaden
the regulations for its application by
administrative amendment. Yet, wheth-
or coincidence or otherwise, the attempt
to secure an order from the Secretary
of Agriculture to permit the use of corn
sugar in food products without so stat
ing on the label, as required by the
statute. is to be regarded as an attempt
to break down the law of honest label
ing for which DR.. Wiley fought with
such determination and with ultimate
success a quarter of a century ago.
Opposition to the proposal to permit
the use of corn sugar as an ingredient
of food materials without statement of
the fact in the label is not based upon
doubt of the wholesomeness of that in
gredient. 1t is simply a matter of
honesty of salesmanship. The pure food
and drugs act requires that the label
used upon package goods must bear a
correct description of the materials in
clNded in the composition. According
to the law and the regulations adopted
Immediately after its enactment sugar"
is the product chemically known as
sucrose, chiefly obtained from sugar
cane, sugar beets, sorghum, maple and
palm" Corn sugar does not fall within
this range of definition. To permit its
use without specific statement requires
a change in the law and in the def1ni-
tive regulations. The present applica-
ton seeks to effect such a change with
the consideration only of single Of
fetal of the Government, namely, the
Secretary of Agriculture.
AT the hearing held last week before
the Secretary of Agriculture the pro-
ponents of the change were representa-
tives of the Corn Products Refining Co.,
the Kansas City Board of Trade, the
American Federal Farm Bureau, acting
for the corn growers, and St. Louis
physician-a distinctly Missouri repre-
sentation. Against the proposal were
representatives of the National Gamers
Association, of the Association of Food
Officials of the United States and of
the National Association of Wholesale
missioners of the States, representatives
of the bee industry and also of the con-
Stunning public. The former group urged
that there is nothing deleterious TO
tended that if that is true, which is
granted, there is no reason why the fact
OF the use of the ingredient should not
be frankly stated in the label
Recently the chief of the Western
district of the food and drug admin
istration began radio drive to enlist
the cooperation of the consumers in
the enforcement of the law. He said:
Until consumers learn the meaning CT
statements on food and drug labels and
until they govern their buying accord
ingly, we shall not realize the fullest
possible public benefit from the enforce
ment of the Federal and State laws.
In short, the public must learn the
labels, and the producers must con-
form to them. Evasion of the law by
camoufage may be punished by direct
action of law enforcement or by in
direct action by refusal On the part of
the public to purchase and use goods
which are not fairly and fully described
in the label. Thus the label is the test.
To amend the regulations by permitting
the use of one substitute without public
statement is to open the door to other
evasions and Entertainments. The path
of safety lies along adherence to the
rules as now written, unless Congress
shall formally amend the law to permit
specific exceptions. The fact that re-
peated efforts have been made without
success 10 secure the amendment of the
statute in this particular interest should
bar the way 10 amendment through adj
ministrative action.