COPPER-GREENING IN FRANCE. 1065 



of announf-iiig by means of labels in legible characters the presence of the metal. 

 For these reasons we propose that the Comite reply to the minister : 



Since present legislation does not confer upon the administration sufficient author- 

 ity to permit it to require the canners to announce by labels any substances added 

 by them to the preserved foods, whatever their nature, it is necessary both in the 

 interests of hygiene and of commercial honesty to demand of Parliament the enac- 

 tion of a law requiring merchants and canners to place upon their labels an announce- 

 ment of any such addition, and further to accompany this with the date when the 

 preserves were prepared. 



It is not necessary to remove the prohibition resting upon copper before the pass- 

 ing of this or any other law tending toward the same endi 



After discussion the Gomite" presented the following report : 



In the actual state of science it is not shown that the greening of preserved foods 

 by salts of copper is absolutely without injurious effect, and therefore it is not 

 advisable to remove the prohibition. 



Decided as was Gallard's second report it was by no means accepted 

 as final. 



In February, 1886) the association of Parisian canners (Chalnbre 

 Syndicate deS fabficauts de conserves alimentaires de Paris) complained 

 to the minister of commerce and industry of being hampered in their 

 trade by the copper laws, stating that the buyers in the United States 

 had advised them that their importations must be diminished were the 

 canned vegetables shipped no longer coppered, for American commerce 

 demanded the regreened legumes. It was also stated that London 

 merchants had written them to the same effect, stating that vegetables 

 of the natural color would not be acceptable. Furthermore the canners 

 stated: 1 



We do not know any practical and approved method of giving leguminous pre- 

 serves the green tint demanded in trade, especially in foreign trade, except that 

 depending upon the addition of an infinitesimal dose of copper salts during preserv- 

 ing. A trade of fifty years' standing demonstrates the perfect innoCuousness of the 

 amount employed. The Comite d'hygiene recognized in 1882 that copper sulphate in 

 the quantities we use is harmless, biit still maintained the prohibition on the ground 

 that the manufacturer might use more copper than was necessary, and thus cause ill* 

 ness. In short the whole industry is to remain under suspicion because some bungle? 

 may not know his trade. Attention is invited to the fact that the manufacture of 

 copper-greened preserves occupies 20,000 workmen and represents 40,000,000 francs. 

 Enforcing the prohibition would send this trade to foreign countries. 



They close by saying that if salts of copper are as poisonous as has 

 been claimed, the packers should be prosecuted in real earnest and thus 

 given a chance to demonstrate in the courts the innocuousness of their 

 products. They say in conclusion : 



"If we are criminals, let us be judged seriously." 



In May, 1887, the chamber of commerce of Nantes protested against 

 the partiality with which the law was enforced, Parisian canners not 

 being prosecuted. It demanded that if the proscription was to be con- 

 tinued, it be rigorously and impartially enforced. 



1 Reverdissage des conserves alimentaires au moyen des eels de cuivre. Ed. Grimaux, 

 rapporteur. Recueil des trav. du Comite" consultatif d'hygiene publique 1889, 19, 146. 



