The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1939-02-03

the FAMILY marketer going to buy
meat has seen on the wholesale cut
on the butchers block a little round
purple stamp with the letters u
| S. INS'D & P'S'D." The little stamp
has become so familiar that home
makers seldom stop to realize its
significanee-the fact that for a
third of a century a large part of
Americas meat supply has been in
spected and passed" by Federal ex-
perts to signify its wholesomeness,
and its compliance with certain
health standards.
IN the year just closed the Federal
government supervised the slaughter
of nearly 70 million food animals
cattle, hogs and sheep and goats
in some 300 meat establishments IN
.252 cities and towns This was about
2 out of every of these animals
killed for food throughout the ma
ton, according to official estimates.
In addition, there was inspection at
about 400 meat processing plants
that do not slaughter.
Across State Lines
Federal meat inspection is re-
CURED by law in every establish
ment that slaughters animals or
processes meats and ships any part
of its output across state lines. But
there is no Federal supervision for
farmers who slaughter their own
animals on their own farms, nor for
meat plants that sell all they pro-
duce locally, that is, inside the
boundaries of the same state. Sew
eral states and many cities have
their own inspection systems, some
of them patterned after the national
model.
Through 80 years the same little
stamp has stood for exactly the
same thing-a clean and wholesome
meat supply. But the methods of Sc
curing this "clean and wholesome"
meat supply have changed to keep
up with the times.
From the start a working place
that was clean and easily kept clean,
was regarded as one of the essen
tials. The Government inspects meat
only in plants that meet the general
standards specified by the Federal
meat-inspection law and regulations.
Sanitary engineers of the meat-in-
spection service have made a thor
ough study of suitable construction
and equipment.
Requirements Change
The requirements specify such ne
cessities as generous quantities of
hot water under pressure, plenty of
well-located places to sterilize in
struments, good drainage, efficient
lighting, good ventilation, and ade-
quate facilities for conducting in
spection and disposing of condemned
products These requirements are
being changed constantly to keep
pace with new developments. The
regulations provide that certain
machinery move only so fast and no
faster. This restriction on speed is
necessary to give inspectors suffi-
Gent time to examine each carcass
thoroughly as it passes before them.
Plumbing and lighting require
ments change with scientific adj
vances in both these lines. One of
the newer developments is the use
of glass building blocks allowing
more light than in conventional
and less glare through the
daylight hours.
Stainless Steel Requirements
In the interest of greater clean
illness, stainless steel hooks, blades,
and other equipment are gradually
replacing the older types of equip
ment, all of which require constant
polishing to keep down the rust.
Thoroughness is the motto for ev-
cry step of the inspection service.
graduate veterinarians
supervise examinations from the
time the live animals are che sked
over before the slaughter. Any ami
NAL that is affected with any dis
ease or condition which might cause
in whole or in part i'
tagged with the words "U. S. sus-
pect" and held for separate slaugh
tering.
At the time of and after tie
qualified inspectors scTur
inize all parts of the carcass and
give special attention to parts in
which disease is most likely to make
its first appearance.
Benefit of Doubt
If there are any indications of
disease or any Objectionable con-
1itions, the carcass is marked with a
Tag "U s. Retained, and held for
/ more intensive study In this, as
n all examinations, the public gets
The benefit of any doubt, and only
neat that is "clean, wholesome, and
lit for human food" wins the purple