l66 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



condition of the dishes and utensils used as well as in regard 

 to the refrigerating facilities. 



Food Factories. — We have attempted to investigate as far as 

 possible, and within our means, the conditions of the food 

 supply which would in any way afifect the public health, with 

 particular reference to bakeries, slaughter houses, bottling 

 works, canning factories and condensed milk factories, en- 

 deavoring always to assist and advise with the end in view of 

 producing a cleaner and better product. Our particular at- 

 tentioTi has been directed to two of our principal industries — 

 the packing of corn and sardines — to which more space will 

 be devoted later in my report. 



Bakeries. — Realizing the great importance that care should 

 be taken in handling bread, we have attempted to investigate 

 the methods used in dispensing this product, not only in the 

 shop but on the delivery teams and in stores. Bread, when it 

 comes from the oven, is probably in a sterilized condition ; 

 this can be truthfully said of both the surface of the loaf and 

 of the interior. However, this is the last sterilizing process the 

 bread receives before being consumed, as a very small amount 

 of bread is subjected to any further heating or toasting pro- 

 cess. It is therefore evident that bread should be kept at all 

 times, in order to be suitable for food, carefully protected and, 

 to this end, the inspectors have attempted to advise the drivers 

 of bakery teams to be particularly cleanly in their habits and 

 in the matter of handling unwrapped bread. In most cases 

 our advice has been gratefully received and usually heeded, 

 but there is still chance for improvement. Bakers have readily 

 agreed that if for no other than economic reasons it was to 

 their advantage to wrap bread. There are certain kinds — 

 like the Vienna and French loaves — whicli, owing to the lack 

 of uniformity in shape, make it difficult to insist on protection 

 by wrapping; for this class of goods our recommendations 

 have been to handle as little as possible, and with particular 

 care when handling is absolutely necessary. 



Bottling Establishments. — During the summer of 1915 an 

 investigation of the bottling establishments — where carbonated 

 beverages or bottled soda are manufactured — in Maine was 

 carried on. Not a large number of samples was taken, al- 

 though rather a minute inspection was made of a large quantity 



