No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. ^S 



in pleasant weather." Mr. Stewart farther says that: ''Meat is sold 

 in Washington that was killed five years ago. It w^as frozen, and 

 has been kept that way, though formaldehyde may have been put in 

 immediately after it was killed. Before selling, it was washed with 

 boracic acid to make it look bright." Senator Stewart also advo- 

 cated a rigid examination into food supplies and the publication of 

 the results, regardless of the pressure that might be brought against 

 such publications, believing that it would create such a public senti- 

 ment as to make it comparatively easy "to pass pure food bills, or 

 anything else to stop these evils." This is the identical course pur- 

 sued in Pennsylvania, and it is a pleasure and duty to endorse such 

 a proposed national movement, because of its good results in this 

 Commonw'ealth. 



ADULTERATED COFFEE ILLEGAL. 



With the increased consumption of coffee, and the constant intro- 

 duction of so-called "coffee substitutes" under numerous and vari- 

 ous names, many of which are decidedly misleading, the following 

 decision of Ex-Attorney General Elkin is regarded as both timely 

 and appropriate. It also calls attention to the manipulation of coffee 

 by the addition of chicory, cereals, etc., in order to deceive the pub- 

 lic. In several cases the so-called "coffee" was composed entirely 

 of cereals, or materials entirely foreign to the genuine coffee berry, 

 although sold at comparatively high prices. The opinion reads as 

 follows: 



"The question involved is one of great importance in the construc- 

 tion of the provisions of the Pure Food Law. As I am informed, a 

 firm imports teas, coffees and spices, and, in order to make a cheaper 

 grade of coffee, a certain amount of chicory, wheat, rye, peas, etc., 

 is dried, browned and ground with pure coffee. The mixture thus 

 prepared is sold on the market under a label of "Best Kio," "Prime 

 Eio," French Bio," or "Broken Java." It is earnestly contended that 

 the proviso to Section 3 of the Pure Food Act of 1895 gives them the 

 right to sell such a mixture or compound without incurring the penal- 

 ties of the law. Acting upon this idea, certain labels containing the 

 words "Coffee Compound," and showing that it is a mixture of prime 

 coffee, English chicory and choice grain, are exhibited for the pur- 

 pose of securing your approval, so that this "Coffee Compound" may 

 be sold in our Srate without interference from those in charge of 

 the enforcement of the law. * » * j ^jji clearly of the opinion, 

 however, that coffee adulterated by the addition of chicory, wheat, 

 rye or peas, is not an "ordinary article of food" intended to be ex- 

 empted from the penalties of the law\ On the other hand, it is an 

 adulteration, and cannot be sold without offending against the provi- 

 sions of the Pure Food Law." This same question frequently reap- 

 pears, but the Commissioner cannot place any different construction 

 upon the Act under consideration. 



PROSECUTIONS ORDERED DURING 1904. 



With the decreased percentage of adulterated, impure, preserved 

 or illegal articles of food and drink, as is shown by the analytical 

 reports published monthly, there naturally followed a falling off in 



