INSPECTION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNERIES. 3 



out any intention to be misleading. Because of his familiarity with 

 the complex machinery, he may omit to mention the use for which 

 certain units are employed, or it may be difficult for him to describe 

 a process in the noise and confusion of the factory. Do not assume 

 that he is deliberately withholding information unless subsequent 

 events prove that such is the case. In order that no part of his 

 explanations will be overlooked, misconstrued, or misunderstood, a 

 safe rule is to take enough time to understand each piece of ma- 

 chinery and its purpose, making notes and illustrations when de- 

 sirable. 



EXAMINATION OF RAW MATERIALS. 



Examine critically all raw fruits and vegetables on hand. In study- 

 ing the raw materials, ascertain where they are produced. Do they 

 come from farms owned or leased by the canner or are they pur- 

 chased from independent growers ? Learn how they are transported 

 to the cannery, whether by wagon, truck, or train. It is important 

 to find out the time that elapses from the picking or harvesting 

 until the fruits and vegetables reach the cannery and the time they 

 are held at the cannery before processing. 



Observe carefully whether the raw fruits and vegetables are green, 

 partly mature, ripe, or overripe, and to what extent, if any, they 

 are decayed, bruised by rough handling, defective because of insect 

 stings or fungus injury, or frost bitten. Note the containers in which 

 they are delivered to the cannery. Freedom from bruises and crush- 

 ing is attained only by the use of suitable containers. Berries should 

 be in small boxes as for the market, and corn, peas, and beans should 

 be handled in such a way that they will not heat. Ask about the 

 weather during the growing and harvesting season and study the 

 general climatic conditions of the section. The climate and its va- 

 riations have a direct bearing on the quality of the finished product. 



Ascertain all the varieties of each product handled regularly, so that 

 later in the inspection statements about the varieties appearing in 

 the labeling may be checked. As a rule, the variety is mentioned 

 only in the labels of fruits and vegetables having one or more va- 

 rieties for which there is a greater demand than for the others. 

 When a particular variety is specified in the label, it is important 

 that the inspector should know whether or not that variety is actu- 

 ally put into the can. 



The importance of starting with fresh, sound, clean, properly 

 matured fruit or vegetables can not be too strongly emphasized. 

 No matter how careful or efficient the canning process may be, it can 

 never improve the quality of unsound fruit or vegetables. 



