UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 908 ^ 



Contribution from the Bureau of Chemistry 

 CARL L. ALSEEEG, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



January 18, 1921 



THE MAINE SARDINE 'INDUSTRY 



By 



, F. C. WEBER 



Chemist in Charge 



With the collaboration of H. W. HOUGHTON and J. B. WILSON 



Assistant Chemists, Animal Physiological Chemical Laboratory 



CONTENTS 



Introduction : 



The Sardine 



The Maine Sardine Industry . . . 



The Maine Sardine 



Food Value of the Canned Sardine . 



Purpose of Investigation 



Methods Employed in Packing Sardines 

 Experimental Work: 



Methods of Analysis .... 



Composition of the Sea Herring 



Food of the Sea Herring . . 



Swells 



Transportation of the Fish . 



Pickling and Salting the Fish 



Flaking the Fish ...... 



Drying the Fish . . , . . 



Page 

 Experimental Work — Continued.) 



Packing the Fish 58 



60 



69 

 70 



93 

 96 

 9S 



Adding the Oil > 



Processing the Sardines 



Storing the Sardines 



Decomposition of the Fish .... 



Grading the Fish 



Standardization of the Sardine Pack , . 

 Sanitary Precautions in Packing Sardines 

 Waste In Packing Sardines; 



Elimination of Unnecessary Waste . 102 



Utilization of Unavoidable Waste . . 109 

 Economic Considerations . ..... 115 



Summary . 121 



Bibliography 125 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1921 



