No. e. * DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 103 



In one instance it was reported that dried-beef was being sold by a well 

 known merchant in a prominent town "at a price considerably below the 

 normal price," but upon careful examination, it was discovered that the price 

 was below its actual cost, and reduced to compete with a rival merchant who 

 had reported the alleged wrong-doing. 



While the figures indicate a constantly increasing consumption of meat in 

 Pennsylvania, and the fact that the farmers of the State are feeding steers 

 more extensively than for many former years, the magnitude of the farmer's 

 occupation in adding to the store of this class o£ food is hardly appreciated 

 by the average reader. Taking the United States figures as a criterion, it has 

 been calculated that every time the clock ticks a second during ten hours of 

 a work-day, the farmer drives nine meat animals to the butclier. 



SULPHITES IN FRESH MEATS PROHIBITED. 



The old and reprehensible practice of converting partially decomposed fresh 

 meat into Hamburg steak, after the addition of a liberal portion of chemical 

 presoivatives, is foitunately no longer popular in Pennsylvania. Several 

 years ago the practice was a very common one and prevailed among some of 

 the largest and most reputable butchers. While apparently fresh, and the 

 color of the meat being restored and heightened by the use of sulphites, physi- 

 cal changes of a dangerous character and menacing' to health were in progress. 

 The chemists reported that borax, boric acid and sulphite of soda were a fre- 

 quent adulterant, and the Dairy and Food officials, as a rule, experienced but 

 little difficulty in securing convictions. The leading authorities assert that the 

 use of a L-hemical preservative agent on meat is most reprehensible, no matter 

 what it may be, and that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania performed a 

 praiseworthy deed in stopping this abuse. 



The average city meat market does no longer have in readiness for imme- 

 diate delivery the usual large quantity of Hamburg steak to await forthcoming 

 but uncertain customers. The old, familiar pile of highly colored and attractive 

 "steak" is no longer in evidence, but the purchaser will be able to assist in 

 selecting the meat he wants and will very properly watch the process of cut- 

 ting and grinding the same while he waits. This method may be less profit- 

 able to the dealer, but is of far greater value to the consumer. 



CHEMICALLY PRESERVED FRESH MEAT UNCOMMON. 



One of the most beneficient results derived from the enforcement of the 

 Pure Food Act of June 26, 1895, which was repealed by the Legislature of 

 1907, was the almost total elimination of the dangerous practice of using sul- 

 phites and other chemicals in fresh meat, sausage, bologna, Hamburg steak 

 and in fact, in nearly all meat products. Canned meats were also very fre- 

 quently found to be heavily "doped" with these pernicious chemicals, but as the 

 warfare against their use continued, and after the arrest and punishment of 

 hundreds of butchers and dealers in meat and meat products, there was a 

 very perceptible and sensible decrease in the use of such deleterious materials 

 for the purposes indicated. 



The more recent investigations and consequent analytical examination of 

 samples purchased in the open markets of Pennsylvania show a general com- 

 pliance with the law. The new meat act (1905), under vv-hich such prosecu- 

 tions are now being brought provides for a fine of not less than one hundred 

 dollars, and the average dealer will therefore be averse to taking any further 

 chances of detection, arrest and punishment. 



The analyses of canned or tinned meats has also shown a marked change, and 

 the vast meat industry is certainly in a much better and more healthful condi- 

 tion than ever before. 



SAUSAGE DOPED WITH STARCH AND WATER. 



One of the articles commonly found on sale in every butcher shop and in 

 many stores, namely, sausage, is the subject of a special investigation that is 

 now being made by the National and other pure food authorities. The manu- 

 facturers have been using starch and other material foreign in sausage in ex- 

 cessive quantities for years, and it has also developed that such foreign sub- 

 stances are added to enable the maker to add an abnormally and unwarranted 

 large amount of water, thus giving the manufacturer profits that do not be- 

 long to him. 



In Pennsylvania this subject received special consideration several years ago, 

 and the prosecutions brought showed very conclusively that the same methods 

 were being practiced here. After the imposition of a number of fines, these 

 practices were reduced to a minimum, and later, analyses of numerous sam- 

 ples failed to show the former gross abuses. While some butchers may sit 

 up and burn the midnight electricity Cor oil), to devise devious methods to get 

 rich quickly, the old plan of "watering" or "filling" sausage with starch and 

 water is no longer safe. 



The Dairy and Food authorities of Pennsylvania were among those to take 

 the initiative move to stop these practices. Their efforts were effective and are 

 now saving money for the poor people who are probably the largest consumers 

 of sausage. 



