BUEEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 97 



MEAT-INSPECTION LABORATORIES. 



In the meat-inspection laboratories maintained in Washington 

 and in six other cities samples of each meat food product prepared 

 at official establishments have been examined and analyzed to deter- 

 mine if they were properly labeled or contained any deleterious sub- 

 stance. Samples of the various materials used in the curing and 

 preparation of meat and products, such as water, spices, salt, etc., 

 and of the various substances used in and around the establishments, 

 such as inks, disinfectants, insect and rodent exterminators, were 

 examined, and permission for use was based upon the results of such 

 examinations. 



Samples to the number of 59.916 were examined in the laboratories 

 during the year, 59,263 being domestic and 653 imported products. 

 These figin^es show an increase of nearly 4,500 over the number for 

 the previous year. One thousand three hundred and thirty-six sam- 

 ples were found not to be in accordance with the regulations, 44 of 

 which were from imported products. Water supplies from 832 

 sources were examined, 109 of which were condemned for use in the 

 preparation of meat products. 



Great improvement has been noted in the quality of the nitrate of 

 soda (Chile saltpeter) being furnished to the packing houses. This 

 was largely due to the number of samples of this salt rejected on 

 account of the presence of borax, which resulted in the refiners im- 

 proving their methods of purifj^ing, so that now borax has been prac- 

 tically eliminated. Special investigations have been conducted dur- 

 ing the year as to the sources and handling of the different brands of 

 common salt used in packing houses, of the storage of spices at the 

 inspected establishments, and of the sources of the Avater used in the 

 preparation of meat food products, and decided improvements have 

 already been brought about as a result of these investigations. 



The Washington meat-inspection laboratory has devised new 

 chemical tests for rancidity in fats, for the detection of added water 

 in sausage, and for the separation and identification of the permitted 

 coal-tar colors. These new methods are of great assistance in the 

 analysis of meat food products. 



Pasteurization of all dairy products used in the preparation of 

 oleomargarin is now required in establishments under the Federal 

 meat inspection. Creameries supplying these products to the in- 

 spected establishments have been visited to insure pasteurization. 



QUARANTINE DIVISION. 



R. W. Hickman, Chief. 



INSPECTION AND QUARANTINE OF IMPORTED ANIMALS. 



While there have been no outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in 



Great Britain during the past year such as occurred in the preceding 



3^ear, the interference with shipping owing to the war has resulted in 



again keeping importations of live stock below the normal average. 



33382°— AGK 1917 7 



