364 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



Seizures were promptly made, as a result of which the offending 

 firm discontinued operations. 



Eggs. — Continued work was performed on interstate shipments 

 of shell eggs. The educational work by P'ederal and State officials 

 in having eggs candled as near as possible to the place of produc- 

 tion has done much to eliminate decomposed eggs from interstate 

 conunerce. This year a decided improvemnt in the quality of the 

 eggs shipped was noted in several sections of the United States. 

 Forty-nine prosecutipns and 44 seizures were instituted during the 

 year, because of the shij)ment of decomposed eggs. 



In recent years the traffic in frozen and dried eggs, which are 

 used extensively by hotels and bakeries, has assumed large propor- 

 tions. The quality of the eggs used, as well as the sanitary condi- 

 tions under which the dried or frozen products were prepared, 

 has been investigated. Careful inspection of the large quantities 

 imported was made at ports of entry, in order to exclude the con- 

 signments mifit for food or otherwise adulterated or misbranded. 

 Four prosecutions and seven seizures were made during the year 

 because of the interstate shipment of adulterated frozen eggs. 



Sahnon. — A discouraging phase of the regulatory work has been 

 the persistent practice by certain packers of canning decomposed 

 sahnon. Seizures of 86 shipments of canned salmon were made 

 and 10 criminal prosecutions were inaugurated during the year. The 

 marketing of this type of product, notwithstanding the bureau's pre- 

 vious activit}^, indicates a degree of deliberation or extreme negligence 

 on the part of some packers which calls for continued and intensive 

 regulatory activity. 



Jams and jellies. — The investigational work alluded to in the last 

 report for the development of methods for the analysis of products 

 labeled as fruit jams and jellies, which contain excessive added 

 pectin and are deficient in fruit, has progressed to a point where it 

 has been possible to take action against many shipments of such 

 products. Thirteen prosecutions and 38 seizures were developed dur- 

 ing the year. 



Attention was centered chiefly on jams and jellies made with 

 excessive quantities of added pectin which were labeled as true fruit 

 products. In some instances so-called fruit jellies were found to be 

 made wholly of pectin, sugar, water, citric or tartaric acid, and 

 artificial color, containing no true fruit or fruit juice. In other 

 cases products contained some true fruit, varying from a quantity 

 sufficient for coloring only up to quantities barely sufficient to convey 

 a faint fruit flavor. 



The bureau's activities on these products have been met in a 

 gratifying manner by the trade. The seizures have so far been ad- 

 justed without contest by the entry of consent decrees and release 

 under bond, for appropriate relabeling. Furthermore, there has 

 been a very general adoption of new and informing labels. The 

 campaign has thus largely eliminated unfair competitive conditions 

 heretofore existing and has in great measure insured the purchaser 

 against fraud and deception. 



Slack-filled canned goods. — A can of food in which water, brine, 

 or sirup in excessive quantities has been substituted for tlie food 

 which the can purports to contain is said to be " slack filled." Such 

 an article is adulterated, in that a liquid has been substituted in whole 



