Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-17
Butter Industry's Views on Oleo

To the Editor OF The star
Your editorial of January IS yellow as
Butter seems to favor repeal of the Internal
Revenue laws which effectively have regu-
lated the manufacture and sale of yellow ole
omargarine but does not advocate any effective
means of protecting consumers from fraud
and deception, if these are repealed.
Naivete does not generally characterize your
editorials but your statement, "All oleomarga-
rine, no matter where or how sold, should be
labeled as such" achieves a new high for
righteousness.
1t is fact we'll known by food enforce
ment officials that there are certain basic
receptions which are sometimes employed in
the preparation of foods which are not cor
rectible by any form of label statement. The
use of artificial color for the purpose of simu-
lating valuable food probably is the fore
most example of this type of deception.
Item l. The Food and Drug Administra-
ton throughout its rulings has been sensi-
tive to the deception caused by the use of
artificial yellow color in foods which makes
them appear to contain eggs. The use of
yellow color is forbidden in such foods as
macaroni and noodle products, mayonnaise
and salad dressings.
Item g. The Circuit Court Of Appeals has
upheld the Food and Drug Administration in
its contention that white poppy seeds, arti-
fcially colored to resemble more valuable
Dutch blue and Turkish grey poppy seeds,
are adulterated
Item g. In 1910 opinion (stil VALID the
Food and Drug Administration said, Bakery
products, or any other food containing pump
kin, which gives the appearance of having
an egg content when no eggs are present or
iS
be an adulterated article under any form of
labelling"
Item 4. Artificial red cooring may not be
added to tomato puree or other tomato
products.
A truthful label statement that artificial
color had been added would not be a success
full defense to q charge of adulteration in
any Of the above illustrations. Yet, inadequate
regulation of yellow oleo would relegate any
of the above adulterated foods to the chicken
feed" class as source of booty to the I'M
scrupulous because of the large margin Of
profit involved and the closeness Of the re-
semblance of yellow oleo and butter In ap-
pearance and taste.
Your statement that some butter Is arti-
ficially colored is yellow herring. Butter never
is coored to make consumers believe 1t is oleo.
The sound principle upon which the dairy
industrys new policy is based was once ex-
pressed by Food and Drug official who
after 80 years experience in protecting con-
sumers from deleterious foods and economic
fraud said 1T is our experience in law en-
forcement that the purchaser is guided many,
many times in the identity of a uroduct, by
it's flavor, it's appearance, its physical proper
ties regardless of what statements are made
on the label with respect to artificiality or
cooring, as the case may be; and it is che
of the fundamentals of law enforcement pro-
cedure that such effects, resulting from ap-
pearances and favors, when they are deceptive
are not correctible by label declaration
Do not minimize the fraud potential in
herent in removing the effective protection
which has been afforded housewives by the
revenue laws It grieves me to see The Star
running with the pack on this issue. 1t would
seem your really great newspaper should be
in the van, endorsing legislation which will
give consumers a decent measure OF protec-
ton, If the tax on yellow oleo is to be removed.
CHARLES M. FISTERE,
Counsel, American Butter Institute.