No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 59 



CANDIES 



The work of the year included examinations of a large number of 

 candies. In very few cases resinous glaze, once so commonly used, 

 appeared; in eight cases convictions were obtained for the additiou 

 of starchy matter where sugar should have been expected. In all, 

 there were 35 convictions for adulteration of this kind of commodity. 



FLOUR 



A very large number of flours have been examined. Of bleached 

 flours, in 24 cases convictions were for the addition of nitrous 

 acid. 



■ COFFEE 



During many years past the examination of package coffees has 

 shown a very good condition of freedom of tliese materials from 

 foreign additions. The sale of the whole coffee bean instead of the 

 ground material has, of course, made adulteration more difficult. Ex- 

 amination was made of the coffee sold at lunch counters, restaurants, 

 etc., the examination in these cases being made upon the coffee de- 

 coction of drink, rather than upon the raw material from which it 

 was made. There w^ere 30 cases of adulteration established by tXi&iiQ 

 examinations. 



TIN SALTS 



The very large use of tin-coated containers for the packing and 

 preserving of moist foods has raised a number of questions requiring 

 the very careful consideration of health officers. While tin is much 

 less soluble than other metals when left in contact with substances, 

 such as common foods, it is, nevertheless, not entirely insoluble. In 

 most cases, however, the amounts dissolved are small, and facts thus 

 far established concerning the influence of very small amounts of 

 tin upon human health have not been sufficient to warrant condem- 

 nation, which would have worked the i^ractical banishment of all 

 tin containers from use for the foods. Such a wholesale change 

 would have greatly increased the difficulty of preserving foods, and 

 also very greatly increased the container-cost which the consumer is 

 obliged to pay as part of the price for the food he buys. Because 

 of these facts, condemnations of foods as adulterated because of 

 the presence of tin salts has been limited to those cases only in 

 which veiy large amounts, relatively speaking, of these salts were 

 found present. Two convictions were obtained during the past 

 year because of such adulteration ; one in the case of salmon and 

 kippered herring, and one in the case of canned tomatoes. 



GROCERIES 



As a whole it may be said that the state of groceries continues 

 to show an excellent freedom from adulteration and serious mis- 

 branding. 



