The Preservation of Food in the Home. — Part II 1291 



of the cover. Put the two boards together, with a layer of insulating 

 material between them. 



Cold storage. — Cold storage, where refrigeration is obtained on a large 

 scale, has had a far-reaching influence on the food industry. Fruit 

 production has become a stable and important business only since the 

 development of practical cold-storage methods. Cold storage has led to 

 the increased production of fruits and vegetables in large quantities, 

 because by careful management their distribution may be regulated over 

 a season of nonproduction. The egg and poultry business has received a 

 pennanent impetus, now that eggs produced in spring and summer may 

 be stored for six or eight months and remain sound and in good salable 

 condition. Small cold-storage plants on the farm, large cold-storage 

 warehouses, and refrigerator cars for transportation have become a 

 necessity to the present food industry. 



While cold storage is an exceedingly valuable way of preserving foods, 

 it is undoubtedly subject to abuse. A low temperature checks the harmful 

 changes produced by ripening processes or bacterial action, but it does not 

 check them either entirely or indefinitely. Gradually, disintegrating 

 changes take place even in those foods most easily kept in cold storage; 

 and if foods are held overlong they are undoubtedly in a condition that 

 makes them unwholesome, if not dangerous, to the consumer. 



After foods have been frozen or held in cold storage it is important to 

 remember that even though the foods are in good condition they spoil 

 much more rapidly than do fresh foods; they should therefore not be 

 removed from cold storage nor thawed until they are to be used, and they 

 should then be used quickly. 



A series of interesting investigations has been conducted in order to 

 learn how long various foods may be held in storage and remain whole- 

 some. In accordance with results of those investigations laws have come, 

 which regulate the time that food may thus be stored. 



Law of New York State governing cold storage. — The following law con- 

 cerning cold storage in .New York State went into effect in the winter of 

 1911 : 



" Cold storage is storage of food for more than 30 days at or below 40° F. 



" Articles intended for cold storage shall be placed in boxes, barrels, 

 crates strong enough to protect them from injury, unless impracticable 

 because of the character of the goods. 



" Each package shall be marked in black or purple ink as follows: 

 Name of storage company and location; second, cold storage; third, 

 received, followed by date when articles were placed in storage. 



" The word delivered followed by date when articles are taken from 

 storage shall be stamped upon foods or packages before being removed. 



