BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 457 



gallon and tlie study of methods for the identification of colors used 

 in food products. 



Some specially interestini^ features of the imported food \vork 

 during- the year were as follows: 



In order that import cases may be handled in as short a time as 

 possible arrangements have been made with the Treasury Depart- 

 ment to establish certain precedents, and when the adulteration or 

 misbranding of imported foods fall under one of these the port 

 laboratory is empowered to report its conclusions direct to the customs 

 officials in charge at that port. A gradual extension of this list of 

 established precedents has taken place, so that during the past year 

 practically all of the cases were handled at the ports directly with the 

 customs officials, only special cases or appeals from the action of the 

 laboratory being referred to Washington for check examination and 

 final action. It is the handling of these special cases and appeals 

 which often requires special investigation and constitutes the greater 

 part of the import work of the AVashington Food Inspection Labora- 

 tory, where all recommendations to the Board of Food and Drug 

 Inspection on imported foods are prepared. 



The inspection of meat and meat food products, through the co- 

 operation of the customs officials, has been extended to the ports 

 M'here no laboratories or inspectors of this Bureau are stationed, so 

 that now all of these products must be accompanied by proper meat- 

 inspection certificates, showing that they have been exarnined before 

 and after slaughter by an official veterinarian. In addition, through 

 cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry, an actual inspec- 

 tion Avill be made of imported meats when it is necessary to determine 

 whether they are in proper condition at the time of arrival. 



The insanitary' conditions surrounding the packing of imported 

 figs having been brought to the attention of the Department, and a 

 great many .^jhipments of dried figs being refused entry at the various 

 ports on this score, every manufacturer of figs was required to submit 

 a sanitary certificate from the American consul showing that his 

 factory was in a satisfactory condition before his goods were allowed 

 entry. As a result, a very rapid betterment of conditions and meth- 

 ods of packing took place. It also developed that these figs were 

 very largely wormy or worm-eaten or infested with sugar mites. As 

 a result of this work foreign countries interested in the production 

 of figs have been making strong efforts to better the conditions at 

 home so as to meet the requirements of this country, and undoubtodlj^ 

 a much better grade of figs, packed in more sanitary surroundings, 

 will be brought into the country in the future. The imported ripe 

 olives were also found to be wormy or worm-eaten, many shipments 

 consisting almost entirely of such imperfect fruit, necessitating re- 

 shipment. 



The French Government limited the area in which Cognac i)randy 

 could be ])roduced, and prohibited the labeling of any brandy pro- 

 duced in other parts of France as Cognac. The value of the word 

 " Cognac " was so great, however, that practically all French bran- 

 dies were labeled in such a manner as to convey the impression that 

 they were made in that locality, the word "Cognac" appearing in 

 very large type and other words restricting its application in very 

 much ijuialler letters. Quite a number of shipments of brandy 



