THE PURPOSE OF FOOD LAWS.

The food law of our country means to accomplish two thingsfirst to protect life and health and secondly to prevent fraud in the sale of food stuffs. It aims to protect life and health; first, by its provisions which prohibit the use of poisonous colors and flavors, and harmful preservatives such as hydrofluoric acid, salicylic acid, boric acid, formaldehyde and all their compounds and derivatives; second, by its provisions regarding the labeling of foods to show the presence of habit forming drugs; and third, by forbidding the sale of any filthy, decomposed, putrid, infected, tainted or rotten animal or vegetable substances.

These provisions of the law are plain and simple and easily understood. The enforcement, however, of the third of these provisions is attended with great difficulty. The detection of goods which are filthy, decomposed, putrid, infected, tainted or rotten requires for accurate proof, at times, the experience of a bacteriologist, the kind of bacteria present frequently indicating quickly and definitely the kind of decomposition which is taking place. It is manifestly impossible for this department to give the people the protection to which they are entitled unless the State makes proper provisions for bacteriological examinations of suspected food samples sent to this laboratory. We have in the past had many applications for investigation with reference to cases in which ptomaine poisoning was supposed to have taken place. The determination of the presence of ptomaines is, however, the work of a bacteriological chemist, a large part of the work being entirely bacteriological. A large number of cases of simple indigestion have recently been reported as cases of ptomaine poisoning. These reports find their way into the newspapers and are being used by borax manufacturers and salesmen as arguments for the use of preservatives which have been declared harmful and injurious in the Illinois Food Law.

PREVENTION OF FRAUD.

It is the object of the food law to prevent fraud in the sale of food by requiring correct branding of every article of food. The State law differs from the National law in this respect; the National law forbidding misrepresentation and in only a few cases requiring that a representation shall be made upon the labels; whereas the State law requires that every manufactured article of food and all food sold in package form shall be branded with the true name of the article and the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or dealer who sells the goods. The State law further requires that any change in the nature of a standard product either by a change in the amount of the different ingredients or by a change of the ingredients themselves shall be plainly stated upon the label for the information of the consumer. In the case of compounds, imitations, and blends, it requires that these words "Compound," "Imitation" and "Blend" as the case may be, shall appear upon the label of the package, and it also requires that it shall otherwise be labeled to show that it is a compound, imitation or blend as the

case may be. It has universally been held that this can be done only by stating the names of the ingredients. Some manufacturers, however, have attempted to palm off their goods by using the word "Compound" with the name of one of the ingredients as "Compound Buckwheat Flour." A compound of buckwheat flour and corn flour is no more a compound buckwheat flour than it is a compound corn flour, and the same is clearly misbranded when named for a single ingredient. These provisions with reference to labeling, with other provisions that articles shall not be adulterated with substances which depreciate their value, together with the State Food Commission to see that the requirements of the law are enforced, are a strong guarantee to the people against fraud in the sale of food stuffs.

ILLEGAL SAMPLES.

BAKING POWDER.

During the past year 116 samples of baking powder were analyzed in this laboratory. Seventy-six were found to be legal and forty were illegal. Of the latter twenty-one were below standard in the amount of available carbon dioxide gas and thirty-three were misbranded.

The following substances are produced by the interaction of the ingredients of baking powder during cooking. Cream of tartar baking powder produces sodium potassium tartrate (Rochelle Salt). Alum baking powders produce aluminum hydroxide sulphate of sodium (Glauber's salt), or sulphate of potassium; phosphate baking powders produce phosphate of calcium, phosphate of soda.

Every one of these substances has medicinal properties and its addition to a food, either directly or indirectly, cannot render the food more wholesome as claimed in the advertisement of one of the cream of tartar baking powders. Such an advertisement is false and misleading.

INGREDIENTS NAMED ON LABEL.

It is partly because of the objectionable character of these substances formed that the law requires that the common name of all the ingredients be stated on the label. This statement enables the purchaser to choose between the different powders, if he has any choice.

The labels on several samples named white of egg, as one of the ingredients, analysis showed the presence of only 0.31 per cent of protein. Part of this is protein present in the corn starch, therefore, it will be seen that the amount of white of egg present is exceedingly small.

BAKING POWDER MANUFACTURERS INACTIVE.

The manufacturers have had plenty of time to comply with the provisions of the law requiring the ingredients to be stated upon the label. We have not found so many baking powders during the past year of an extremely low carbon dioxide content as heretofore. The dealers should remember that baking powders are a perishable commodity and unless kept under favorable conditions will deteriorate rapidly; hence, all goods should be disposed of as rapidly as possible.

This department holds that the substance which has been sold as S.A.S. or C.T.S. may be properly designated upon the label in baking powders as alum, soda alum or sodium aluminum sulphate.

THE RETAILER NOT BLAMELESS.*

A retailer who holds a perishable article in stock for an unreasonable time ought to make no complaint of injustice if prosecuted for selling such goods which have become illegal through deterioration. Baking powder is a perishable article, therefore, the retailer should observe these precautions in buying baking powder:

1. Do not buy more than a six months' supply.

5. Ask the manufacturer or wholesaler to replace with new goods all baking powder that is very old or that is caked in the can. Reputable manufacturers would much rather replace such goods than be subject to prosecution.

6. Get a guarantee from the firm selling you the goods. The guarantor must reside in the State for the guarantee to afford you protection under the State law.

7. See that the label bears the common names of the ingredients.

The ingredients found in most commercial baking powders may be listed as follows:

The law requires that baking powder shall contain not less than ten per cent available carbon dioxide. The available carbon dioxide is that gas which is set free when water is added to the powder and the whole heated. It is quite evident that the value of the baking powder depends on the available carbon dioxide gas and it is thus necessary that the amount should be regulated by law. The chief cause of illegality of baking powders is the low percentage of available carbon dioxide which they contain. This may be duc to one of two reasons, or to a combination of the two. In some cases the manufacturer is to blame, the powder being made with insufficient quantities of bicarbonate of soda or of the acid principle to produce the required amount of carbon dioxide. The other reason and the one which is probably the chief cause for the low value of some of the baking powder on the market, is the general length of time that elapses between the manufacture and consumption of this powder. All baking powders deteriorate on standing, especially if stored in damp places or in pasteboard containers.

MANUFACTURERS OF CHEMICALS.

The chemicals used to make baking powder are foods under the definition of "food" found in section 7 of the law. These chemicals when sold for use in making baking powder or other foods must be free from adulteration and must be labeled with the true name and address of the manufacturer, jobber or dealer.

* See Bulletin No. 5 in this report.

The consumer can judge the strength of a baking powder by the results in the cooked food. A preliminary, though somewhat unsatisfactory, indication of its strength, is the amount of effervescence produced by the addition of hot water to some of the powder. The addition of small amounts of albumen to baking powder sometimes misleads in the application of this test as its viscous nature holds the gas bubbles. The resulting foam seems to indicate a larger percentage of carbon dioxide gas than in cases of baking powder of the same strength where albumen is not used. The amount of egg albumen added in baking powders is very minute and adds practically nothing to its food value. The consumer should read the ingredients as stated on the label, if he would judge how much money he ought to pay for the baking powder. Powders containing cream of tartar or tartaric acid are the most expensive.