EEPOET OF THE SECRETARY. 99 



imported products received at nonlaboratory ports has now been 

 systematized, wliich ■will greatly increase the efficiency of this inspec- 

 tion, the leading ports within the jurisdiction of any branch labora- 

 tory being defmitely assigned thereto. Invoices may now be regu- 

 larly inspected and examinations made more often than was possible 

 heretofore. In addition to the work of the branch laboratories there 

 should be considered the 2,431 samples examined in the Washington 

 Food Inspection Laboratory, of which 790 were check samples, 994 

 samples examined in the Washington Drug Inspection Laboratory, of 

 which the greater part were original samples, and about 1,229 inter- 

 state samples in the other divisions handling extracts, waters, grains, 

 and cattle foods, a total of approximately 4,654 interstate samples 

 examined at Washington. 



SPECIAL FOOD INVESTIGATIONS AND RESEARCHES. 



From time to time conditions disclosed by inspection or questions 

 raised in the administration of the law render it necessary to make 

 special studies of certain classes of foods or drugs in order to determine 

 the condition of the output as a whole, fix upon reasonable limits of 

 composition and sanitation within which the products should fall, and 

 if possible assist the producer by the* scientific study of the problem 

 under commercial conditions, in meeting the new requirements and 

 improving the material in Ciuestion. Investigations of this char- 

 acter have been conducted especially in regard to fruit products, 

 dairy products, oysters, and fish. Other researches are of a purely 

 scientific character looking to the development of new or improved 

 processes as in some of the fruit work. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT PRODUCTS. 



Wormy and unsound fruit. — Many kinds of fruit when sold in 

 bulk and in packages wliich are not hermetically sealed are subject to 

 the attack of insects unless they are carefully stored, and become 

 wormy and entirely unfit for food. Ripe olives, for example, in bulk, 

 were often found to be of this character. Again, in some countries 

 the practice has prevailed of drying fruits in such a manner that they 

 are attacked by insects before or during the process of drying, so that 

 by the time the product is placed upon the market it is sometimes 

 badly infected by worms or the larvae and excreta of certain insects. 

 This problem has been carefully studied in various phases. Numerous 

 seizures have been made of dried fruits which were held by the courts 

 as unfit for food because of their wormy condition. A marked 

 improvement has already been made in the grade of figs offered for 

 entry and doubtless it will be still further improved. 



Maple products. — The prevalent sophistication of maple prod- 

 ucts has given rise to many cases under the food law, and from the 



