THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 51 



York City. The order is entitled "Food Inspection Decision 104." 

 In addition to the following statement the board prints the findings 

 of the referees substantially as printed in the Era of January 28, 

 page 90: 



The board reports, as a result of three extensive and exhaustive 

 investigations, that benzoate of soda mixed with food is not dele- 

 terious or poisonous and is not injurious to health. 



It having been determined that benzoate of soda mixed with 

 food is not deleterious or poisonous and is not injurious to health, 

 no objection will be raised under the Food and Drugs Act to the 

 use in food of benzoate of soda, provided that each container or 

 package of such food is plainly labeled to show the presence and 

 amount of benzoate of soda. Food Inspection Decisions 76 and 89 

 are amended accordingly. 



In this connection it is also announced that Food Commissioner 

 A. H. Jones, of Illinois, has adopted the decision of the Referee 

 Board of Chemists on benzoate of soda as final and has issued to 

 the drug stores of his State the following circular letter : 



The Referee Board of Scientific Experts has reported that 

 "sodium benzoate in large doses (up to 4 grams per day), mixed 

 with the food, has not been found to exert any deleterious effect 

 on the general health, nor to act as a poison in the general accepta- 

 tion of the term. 



"The admixture of sodium benzoate with food in small or large 

 doses has not been found to injuriously affect or impair the quality 

 or nutritive quality of such food." 



In view of these findings and the fact that the full report will not 

 be available for some time, it has been decided by the Department 

 that the placard mentioned in bulletin No. 12, stating "the fruits 

 and syrups used at this fountain are preserved with i-io of i per 

 cent, of benzoate of soda," will not be required this season. 



A. H. JONES, 

 State Food Commissioner. 



p. s. — I trust that you will exercise the greatest care in keeping 

 all i)arts of your store where food is served, prepared or stored in 

 the best possible sanitary condition. During the past year several 

 instances were found in which those parts of the store and soda 

 fountains not exposed to public view were dirty and unsanitary. 

 These matters will be investigated and prosecuted more thor- 

 oughly this year than ever before. 



