96 BULLETIN 908, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



greatly reduces the time required for drying, and finally an important 

 reason for cutting and eviscerating the fish is that if generally adopted 

 it will aid materially in solving the "feedy" problem, by the removal 

 of the feed and viscera before an advanced stage of decomposition, 

 brought about by the bacteria associated with the feed, has been 

 reached. 



STANDARDIZATION OF THE SARDINE PACK. 



In order to satisfactorily market any commodity it is essential that 

 standards should be established before sales are made. It is then the 

 duty of the manufacturer to see that his product complies with the 

 standard adopted. At present there are no uniform grades or stan- 

 dards for sardines upon which a satisfactory marketing and selling 

 arrangement could be based. Although several canners have stan- 

 dardized their pack and sell their goods on a basis of quality, the great 

 majority have in the past sold their products simply as sardines, 

 without reference to their merit. As a result the jobbing trade does 

 not look for a definite uniform quality in Maine sardines, but governs 

 its purchases by price alone. Such a condition nullifies the attempt 

 of those packers who have made an effort to standardize their packs, 

 and often forces them to cast a high-grade article in with the poorer 

 grades of those who care less for quality than for quantity. 



The greater part of the Maine pack is sold under the distinctive 

 name " standards." They may be very good, or they may be inferior, 

 and often their quality is unknown to the packer. The jobbing trade 

 has become so accustomed to this class of goods that quality is not a 

 consideration in the transaction. 



Probably in no other line of goods does this lack of systematized 

 dealing between producer and distributor work more hardship on the 

 consumer. Price and the nature of the competition caused thereby 

 rule the quality of goods produced, with the result that the whole 

 tendency on the scale of quality is downward. 



PROPOSED SPECIFICATIONS. 



The following specifications, based on the division of the pack into 

 four subdivisions, is offered as a working basis for a standardization 

 of the pack of Maine sardines. 



Standards. 



Cans.— Quarter size only, plain or decorated. 



Fish. — Not less than 5 to a can, preferably 6. Steamed; not 

 necessarily eviscerated, though this would insure a better product; 

 carefully packed brights up, to make a neat and attractive package. 



Oil. — Prime, summer yellow cottonseed, or corn, not less than 75 

 per cent of a gallon (3 quarts) to a case of 100 cans. 



