(50 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



LARD 



But ten samples of lard were analyzed during the year and eight 

 cases terminated for adulteration or misbranding. In three of these 

 cases, defective labeling was charged; in five, the addition of cotton- 

 seed oil and beef stearin as substitutes in part for lard fat proper. 



SAMPLES EXAMINED UNDER THE GENERAL FOOD LAW 



The examination of the food supplies coming particularly under 

 the General Food Act included the analysis of over nine hundred 

 samples. One hundred and seventy-six cases were terminated for 

 offenses under this act. Of these cases, sixty-nine, or over one-third, 

 were instituted because of the use of sulphur dioxide, without decla- 

 ration, usually in dried fruits where the law specifically permits the 

 use of this preservative and bleaching agent, but requires that its 

 presence be declared. This large proportion of cases of this char- 

 acter indicates the need for much larger exercise of care on the part 

 of food dealers to observe the requirements of the general law. The 

 use of benzoate of soda in excessive amounts — that is, in amounts 

 beyond the limits fixed by law, or in materials in which it has not 

 commonly been used, is very much more limited than it was a few 

 years ago. Sixteen cases, or about one-eleventh of the entire num- 

 ber terminated, were instituted because of the illegal use of this 

 preservative. There were three cases, also, in which imported peas 

 were found to have been colored green by the use of compounds of 

 copper. Of the same general class of cases, may be mentioned three 

 of flour bleached by the use of nitrites. 



Decomposition and contamination were, despite the difficulties of 

 their detection, tlie bases of condemnation in thirty-six out of the 

 one hundred and seventy-six cases terminated. 



In this connection may be mentioned the special investigation 

 made during the summer of 1915 to determine the condition of the 

 breakfast foods in stock at the close of the summer season. The 

 Bureau has, as a policy growing out of the condition found in a gen- 

 eral examination made some years ago, sent each summer to every 

 grocer a warning as to the care of breakfast food stocks. The ex- 

 amination of 1915 was made by Dr. William Frear of State College, 

 Pennsylvania, who had conducted the original examination for this 

 Bureau. The samples taken for the present examination repre- 

 sented very broadly the stocks of the various brands of breakfast 

 foods found in stores in all parts of the State. The scope of the ex- 

 amination was limited almost exclusively to the condition of the 



