BUKEAU Ob^ CHEIxllsntV. 283 



which i)rodiiced. Certain manufacturers appealed to the depart- 

 ment to change this riilini^. A public hearing Avas given in August^ 

 1921, to those interested in the question. A case came up for 

 judicial determination in the Federal court in Milwaukee, Wis., in 

 December, 1921. with the result that the court sustained the position 

 taken by the department. However, certain concerns continued to 

 ship into interstate commerce vinegar misbranded in this respect, 

 and it became necessary for the department to seize a large number 

 of shipments in order to check the practice. Certain of these cases 

 are still pending before the courts. 



Flour. — In examining shipments of flour to see that bleached flour 

 coming within the jurisdiction of the food and drugs act was labeled 

 as bleached, it was found that many of the shipments to the Pacific 

 coast contained excessive moisture and were short of the weight 

 declared upon the labels. Seizure of numerous shipments was 

 effected and a number of shippers were cited to hearings. 



Canned sjAnach. — A few cases of botulism having been traced to 

 ennned spinach, special attention was given to this product during 

 the year. The California board of health issued regulations pre- 

 scribing the time and temperature at which canned spinach put up 

 in that State should be processed. The San Francisco and Los 

 Angeles stations made complete and systematic inspections of can- 

 neries putting up spinach, giving particular attention to the condi- 

 tion of raw material entering the packs, length of time held before 

 canning, temperatures and time of processing, cut-out weights, and 

 the like. 



Tomato products. — Canned tomatoes and tomato products, such 

 as catsup, pulp, and puree, have received the attention of all three 

 food and drug inspection districts for several years. Where careful 

 sorting is not employed it is possible to incorporate considerable 

 portions of moldy or rotten tomatoes, especially in such products as 

 pulp and puree, without detection of their presence by consumers. 

 Reports of the work during the last fiscal year indicate, however, 

 that a great improvement has been made in these products, and that 

 the extensive educational and regulatory work carried on during 

 previous years has been quite effective. 



In the course of the bureau's regulatorv work on canned tomatoes 

 and tomato products it early became evident that the size and dis- 

 tribution of the industry was such that progress in the elimination 

 of unsatisfactory conditions could Vje made only by operation under 

 an organized plan of action. Accordingly, during the packing sea- 

 son of 1917 the work was first outlined on a project basis, although 

 owing to the limited field force it was impossible to carry it on 

 in an extensive way during that year. During succeeding seasons 

 the inspection districts have been able to give increasingly more at- 

 tention to the project. The project plan which has been followed 

 with minor modi^cations consists in (1) listing all plants in each 

 station territory; (2) preseason or early season inspections of all 

 plants not previously inspected, with constructive suggestions as to 

 improvements where necessary: (3) classification of all plants ac- 

 cording to their practices, whether good, bad, or questionable; (4) 

 follow-up inspections during the packing season of bad and question- 



