16 CONTROL SERIES NO. 126 



PRODUCTS SUPPLYING NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORIC ACID 

 Dry Ground Fish, Animal Tankage, Milorganite 



Adulterated Bone Meal 



Analysis of several samples of bone meal collected by the fertilizer inspectors 

 of the Control Service early in the spring of 1945 disclosed that some of the 

 bone meal had been adulterated by the addition of phosphate rock and sulfate 

 of ammonia or urea or both. In order to ascertain the extent of the adulteration, 

 the inspectors were instructed to collect as many samples of bone meal as possible. 

 A total of 71 samples was taken and 29 were found to be mixtures of bone meal 

 and the ingredients listed above. 



As soon as it was possible to place the responsibility for the distribution of the 

 adulterated bone meal, the Control Service sent out notices to stop further sales 

 of the product. The distributors found to be handling this mixture were the 

 American Agricultural Chemical Company, the Apothecaries Hall Company, and 

 the Rogers & Hubbard Company. These companies have also distributed other 

 bone meal which was not adulterated, and stated that they had purchased the 

 adulterated bone meal from a broker acting for the Summers Fertilizer Company 

 of Baltimore, Maryland. Upon receiving our notice to stop further sales of the 

 product, the three companies involved immediately issued orders to their dealers 

 to comply. Subsequently, acting on instructions from the Summers Fertilizer 

 Company, they notified their dealers to return all unsold stocks to the Summers 

 Fertilizer Company or to dispose of them otherwise than by sale as bone meal 

 Records supplied by the three fertilizer companies show that about 170 tons of 

 this adulterated bone meal had been placed on the market in Massachusetts. 

 About 47 tons were removed from sale, leaving a total of 123 tons that had 

 reached consumers' hands. 



In fairness to the three companies involved, it should be stated that routine 

 analvsis would not detect the adulteration of the bone meal under discussion. 



