No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 79 



samples of various samples of cured fish purchased in different sections of 

 Pennsylvania show very conclusively that the system of "doping" such pro- 

 ducts has been abandoned, and that better and more wholesome substitutes are 

 being: sold to the consumer. As the working people are the largest con- 

 sumers of this kind of food, they are benefited in a corresponding degree in 

 being able to get a better and more nutritious fish diet than ever before at 

 no increased cost. 



The hundreds of suits commenced in Pennsylvania for the sale of adulterated 

 fish attracted general attention throughout the United States, and the work 

 commenced here is now bearing fruit in other states, where similar action 

 against the sale of chemically preserved and adulterated fish in now in progress. 



PURE SPICES IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



The most satisfactory results have followed the enforcement of the pure 

 food laws, so far as the sale of adulterated spices is concerned. The analyses 

 made by the chemists at the several State laboratories are showing uniformly 

 good reports as to the purity of the spices now on sale in Pennsylvania, as 

 compared with the deplorably large number of adulterations which were 

 found during similar investigations several years ago. These samples of pep- 

 per, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, etc., were obtained from grocers and dealers 

 in all parts of the State. This gratifying fact was not brought about without a 

 vast amount of work and very many prosecutions, but to-day, spurious spices 

 are rarely found on sale, and impure goods have been diverted into other 

 states where the laws may perhaps be less severe and not so rigidly enforced. 



The purveyor of adulterated spices long ago discovered that the markets 

 of Pennsylvania were no longer profitable. Disregard of the law cost such 

 persons, as well as the retailers, a large amount of money, but the new era 

 of pure spices is hailed with genuine satisfaction by the trade and consumers, 

 generally. A determined Dairy and Food Commissioner and a court of justice 

 were the factors that brought about the change for the better. 



There was a time when consumers regarded the drug store as the only safe 

 place where pure spices were obtainable; too frequently they paid fabulous 

 prices. To-day, the word of a reputable grocer is sufficient and will go just 

 as far as that of the druggist, and as a result, the spice trade is an integral 

 part of the business of both the grocer and druggist, and with pure goods 

 practically assured, the regular grocer need no longer fear any competition. 



PURE CHOCOLATE AND COCOA. 



The examination made into the purity of the numerous brands of chocolate 

 and cocoa found on sale in the stores of Pennsylvania, has demonstrated the 

 pleasing fact that consumers are now experiencing but little trouble in finding 

 pure goods. Several years ago, a similar investigation showed that adultera- 

 tions were frequent, and that consumers were paying exorbitant prices for 

 brands that were regarded as pure, but which contained a high per cent, of 

 starch or material foreign to the cocoa bean. The substitutes for cocoa or 

 chocolate cost only a trifling part of the genuine material, and in consequence 

 the fraud offered opportunities for a marked gain for the manufacturer. 



Potato and wheat starch were common adulterants, while corn starch was 

 also used more or less freely in defrauding the consumer. Comparing the price 

 of wheat flour with pure chocolate, the reader can readily figure the chance 

 for gain. The removal of a portion of the fat from chocolate was also prac- 

 ticed. This constitutes an adulteration. 



Whether chocolate or cocoa is sold as pure or as a compound, the consumer 

 should exercise due caution so as to avoid being imposed upon. The use of 

 cocoa and chocolate by invalids, and especially when recommended by the 

 medical fraternity, makes pure goods a necessity in order to supply the best 

 nutrient. The prosecutions brouglit against violators of the law several years 

 ago have had a salutary and lasting effect, and it is safe to assert that its 

 moral good has reached far beyond the confines of Pennsylvania. 



UNFAIR SUBSTITUTION OF FOOD PRODUCTS. 



One of the many matters brought to the attention of the Dairy and Food 

 authoWties is the growing habit of many dealers of substituting articles of 

 food for others of "equal value," as is usually claimed. This evil is a wide- 

 spread one, but the Dairy and Food Bureau has no legal authority to inter- 

 fere. If goods of an illegal character are substituted, and the facts are 

 adduced through the regular legal process, the dealer is amenable to the law. 

 On tlie other hand, the remedy that is most easily applied is for the customer 

 to insist upon having that article which he demands. Without taking into 

 consideration the relative value of the article displaced and that of the article 

 recommended as a substitute, the business principle is not a fair one to the 

 consumer, and consequently he is justified in complaining, whether or not 

 suffering financial loss. 



