FOOD LEGISLATION DURING THE YEAR ENDED

JUNE 30, 1907.

INTRODUCTION.

The year ended June 30, 1907, was marked by unusual activity in the enactment of laws regulating the manufacture and sale of foods. During that time seven States and the Philippine Islands, which had previously made no attempt whatever to control the character or quality of their foods, enacted new laws, with enforcing officers and appropriations to make their enforcement possible. New laws were also enacted in three States which will probably not be enforced because of the failure to provide enforcing officer or appropriation. Of the States which previously enforced food legislation, twenty-one during the last year have enacted new laws or amended such legislation in a way to bring it more into conformity with the Federal food and drugs act, passed June 30, 1906.

The tendency in this direction at the present time is well illustrated by a comparison of the number of States now enforcing food laws with the number that enforced them in 1905. Of the fiftythree States and Territories in the United States, including the insular possessions, twenty-five made a serious attempt to enforce creditable food laws on July 1, 1905, as compared with forty-two at the present time. These numbers do not include the States in which laws have been enacted without appropriations for their enforcement. Of the remaining number three are Territories and come within the provisions of the Federal food and drugs act. Only eight States, therefore, have no food laws with appropriations and machinery for their enforcement.

The publication of this bulletin has been unavoidably delayed because it was found impossible to secure at an earlier date authentic copies of the laws passed.

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FEDERAL LAWS.

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1907, no Federal food laws were passed. The following circulars and decisions issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Bureau of Chemistry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture are enumerated as a matter of record, but are not reprinted.

Bureau of Animal Industry: Instructions Concerning Stocks of Meat Products on Hand October 1, 1906 (January 7, 1907). Amendment No. 8 to B. A. I. Order No. 137, being amendment to regulations 50, 53, 55, 56, 61, and 64, governing the interstate and foreign transportation of meats and meat food products (January 21, 1907). Amendment No. 9 to B. A. I. Order No. 137, providing for a regulation governing the transportation of meat by ferry in interstate commerce, and amending the certificate prescribed by regulation 53 (as found in amendment No. 2 of aforesaid order) (March 15, 1907). Amendment No. 10 to B. A. I. Order No. 137, being an amendment to regulations 50, 56, and 64, governing, respectively, the interstate and foreign transportation of meats and meat food products prepared prior to October 1, 1906, and of meats and meat food products of animals slaughtered by a farmer on the farm, and the interstate transportation of imported meats and meat food products (April 5, 1907).

Bureau of Chemistry: Food Inspection Decision 44, Scope and Purpose of Food Inspection Decisions. 45, Blended Whiskies. 46, as amended, Fictitious Firm Names. 47, Flavoring Extracts. 48, Substances Used in the Preparation of Foods. 49, Time Required to Reach Decisions on Different Problems Connected with the Food and Drugs Act, June 30, 1906. 50, Imitation Coffee. 51, Coloring of Butter and Cheese. 52, Form of Label. 53, Formula on the Label of Drugs. 54, Declaration of the Quantity or Proportion of Alcohol Present in Drug Products. 55, Method of Stating Quantity or Proportion of Preparations (Containing Opium, Morphine, etc.) Used in Manufacturing Other Preparations. 56, Names to be Employed in Declaring the Amount of the Ingredients as Required by the Law. 57, Physicians' Prescriptions: The Status of Packages Compounded According to Physicians' Prescriptions and Entering into Interstate Commerce. 58, The Labeling of Products Used as Food and Drugs as well as for Technical and Other Purposes. 59, National Formu

lary Appendix. 60, Minor Border Importations. 61, Cocoa Butter Substitutes. 62, Guaranty on Imported Products. 63, Use of the Word "Compound" in Names of Drug Products. 64, Labeling of Sardines. 65, The Labeling of Whisky, Blends, Compounds, and Imitations Thereof. 66, The Use of Sugar in Canned Foods. 67, Polishing and Coating Rice. 68, Labeling of Food and Drug Products "Manufactured For," "Prepared For," "Distributed By," etc. 69, Inspection of Food and Drugs and Identification of Inspectors. 70, Abuse of Guaranty for Advertising Purposes. 71, Labeling of Succotash. 72, Use of Guaranties and Serial Numbers Thereof. 73, Interstate Transportation of Imported Meats and Meat Food Products.

SEC. 1. Packing and branding.

ALABAMA.

CORN MEAL.

On and after the approval of this act, it shall be unlawful for any miller, firm, person or corporation who manufactures, grinds, or repacks corn meal, or who conducts a merchant mill, to pack or cause to be packed, to be offered for sale to merchants or the general public, or to carry in stock, with intent to sell, corn meal, bolted or unbolted, packed in any other than six pounds, twelve pounds, twenty-four pounds, forty-eight pounds and ninety-six pound sacks; or ninety-six pound barrels, and one hundred and ninety-six pound barrels, wood. The sacks shall have plainly printed or stenciled upon them, "Bolted Meal" or "Unbolted Meal" (steam or water ground as the case may be as indicating the kind of power used in the mill producing the same). Eighth Bushel," Fourth Bushel," or 'Peck," "Half Bushel," "One Bushel," "Two Bushels," and the barrel and half barrel, shall show the net weight in pounds.

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SEC. 2. Weight of packages. It shall be unlawful for any merchant, dealer, vender, hawker, or other character of seller, to sell, offer for sale or keep in stock with intent to sell, any corn meal, bolted or unbolted, in any other than six pounds, twelve pounds, twenty-four pounds, forty-eight pounds, and ninetysix pound sacks; or ninety-six pound half barrels, and one hundred and ninetysix pound barrels, wood. Provided, any retail merchant, may on order weigh from bulk meal, any number of pounds desired by an individual customer.

SEC. 3. Penalty. Any person, firm, or corporation violating either one of the foregoing sections, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction shall be fined not less than fifty, nor more than one hundred dollars for the first offense, but on the second conviction, shall be fined not less than one hundred, nor more than five hundred dollars-one-fourth of said fine in either instance, shall be paid to the informer, furnishing proof leading to conviction out of the county treasury after the payment of such fine upon the order of the solicitor prosecuting the case.

SEC. 4. Repeal. All laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith be, and the same are hereby repealed.

Approved March 5, 1907. General Laws 1907, No. 269, pp. 273–274.

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