80 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Do<3. 



and it is a pleasure to state to the public, that, comparatively speak- 

 ing, the results attained show a marked change for the better. 



The Commissioner was obliged to institute legal proceedings 

 against a number of dealers who sold brands which were not only 

 counterfeit productions, devoid of the fruit after which it was 

 named, but preserved with chemicals and highly colored with coal- 

 tar dyes. The story of raspberry and strawberry jams made from 

 apples, glucose, and coal-tar dyes, with timothy seed added to imi- 

 tate the seed of the true berry, was again exemplified in connection 

 with the examinations made a year ago, but so far as is known, 

 these brands are no longer to be found in the markets of Pennsyl- 

 vania. It is also fully understood that the label even if truthful 

 and exact, could not legalize the sale of any goods, when adulterated, 

 spurious, colored and drugged. The plea that the people in mod- 

 erate circumstances really want goods of the illegal character and 

 bad quality described, is not sustained by actual facts. 



COMPOUND LARD MUST BE LABELLED. 



One of the peculiarities of the year's results was a revelation 

 of the fact that compound lard was no longer freely imposed upon 

 the public as the pure fat of swine, and that consumers were usually 

 informed as to the nature of their purchases by the labelling of the 

 package with the words "Compound Lard" as required by law. 



Lard containing beef fats or stearine and cotton seed oil can 

 be sold under the provisions of the act regulating the manufacture 

 and sale of "Compound Lard," approved June 18, 1901, but if offered 

 for sale or sold as genuine, pure lard, the seller is subject to a fine 

 not exceeding fifty dollars for the first or one hundred dollars for 

 any subsequent offense. The law requiring the labelling of com- 

 pound lard will be rigidly enforced, and grocers, generally, will do 

 well to duly observe all of the provisions of the above cited act. The 

 special agents have been instructed to watch such sales closely. 



FRAUDULENT TRANSACTIONS IN COFFEE. 



A peculiarity of the immense coffee trade has been brought to the 

 attention of the Commissioner by correspondents who complained 

 of the extreme variations in quality, strength and value of the 

 so-called "Java and Mocha" blends of coffee, which are being sold 

 so freely. While the signs seen in some stores offering "Genuine 

 Java and Mocha" coffee at prices ranging from 12^ to 20 cents per 

 pound, may be positively misleading, the unscrupulous dealer in 

 the high grade coffees has the greatest opportunity for gain, and 

 there is no doubt, whatever, as to the truth of the declaration that 

 the coffees of Arabia and Dutch Java Islands are called upon to 

 bear many burdens of misrepresentation and misinterpretation as 

 to quantity and quality of production. With the vast possibilities 

 for coining money in the manner indicated, it is also pleasing to 

 add, that there are many first class firms and dealers who decry 

 such practices, and cater to trade with every honorable ambition to 

 win and retain trade by a strictly legitimate business. 



SALE OF DISEASED MEAT. 



The sale of alleged diseased meat has been brought to the atten- 

 tion of the Dairy and Food officials upon at least several occasions. 



