The suspicion has been at times justly entertained that American 

 food products in foreign countries have been condemned and refused 

 sale on insufficient grounds. The inspection of our food products 

 before shipment to foreign countries should allay this suspicion and 

 should also result in securing greater freedom from adulteration, and 

 this is one of the great points of advantage which should accrue from 

 the rigid execution of the law authorizing inspection. The manufac- 

 ture and sale of adulterated food products under the guise of pure 

 foods should be prohibited whether intended for home consumption 

 or for exportation. We can not afford to follow the example of some 

 countries which exercise a rigid control of food products intended for 

 home consumption, but are lenient in the control of similar food prod- 

 ucts intended for export to foreign countries. .It is quite certain that 

 we are receiving in this country many food products so adulterated as 

 to exclude them from sale in the countries where they are manufac- 

 tured. The honesty of commerce and the good character of our foods 

 can be best conserved by requiring for our products exported to 

 foreign countries the same freedom from adulteration, the same purity , 

 and the same excellent condition which we expect of similar products 

 consumed at home. 



One great source of the wealth of our country is the exportation of 

 food products. The continued prosperity of our agricultural interests 

 depends largely on extending our foreign markets. It is evident that 

 one of the best ways of doing this is to send to foreign countries only 

 food products of the highest grade and above suspicion of adulteration. 

 This bulletin, placed in the hands of our exporters of foods, will guide 

 them in their efforts to secure this high standard of exports, and the 

 cordial cooperation of all exporters is invited to secure to the fullest 

 possible extent a proper execution of the provisions of the act of Con- 

 gress relating to this matter. 



Regulations for securing samples for inspection and for issuing 

 certificates thereof are now in preparation and will be ready for dis- 

 tribution in a short time to exporters of food products (other than meat 

 products, which are already provided for under the inspection regula- 

 tions of the Bureau of Animal Industry), and to others interested in the 

 extension of our markets for agricultural products in foreign coun- 

 tries. Applications for these regulations are invited. Such applica- 

 tions will be placed on file, and the requests will be complied with at 

 the earliest possible moment. 



H. W. WILEY, 



Chief Chemist, 



