SANITARY CONTROL OF TOMATO-CANNING FACTORIES. 21 



suitable for use. In the apron system, however, it is strongly advised 

 that if trimming is to be practiced it be done by a different set of 

 employees from those who do the sorting, for if the sorter is required 

 both to sort and trim at the same time his attention will become 

 divided and he will pass many bad tomatoes. 



Tests made at one plant where the work of sorting and trimming 

 was done by two sets of workers showed that one trimmer reclaimed 

 43£ pounds of good stock in 25 minutes, or 104.4 pounds per hour. 

 At the price then paid for tomatoes the quantity that was saved com- 

 pensated for more than one-third of the expense of the efficient 

 sorting and trimming being done at the plant. 



PULPING. 



The pulping systems in use may be classified as (a) cold and (b) 

 hot. By the cold system the tomatoes are not cooked, but are put 

 through the cyclones before or after passing through a chopping or 

 crushing device. This is the usual system followed in making pulp 

 from trimmings, although the scalding of the tomatoes for peeling 

 slightly cooks the surface tissues. When the stock is scalded for 

 peeling, and occasionally for whole-tomato pulp, the light cooking 

 makes possible a cleaner separation of the pulp from the skin than 

 is secured by the typical cold method. 



By the hot system the tomatoes are partially cooked before going 

 to the cyclone. This cooking undoubtedly gives a larger yield of 

 pulp from the stock and tends to arrest or decrease the growth of 

 microorganisms. Some manufacturers claim that they obtain a 

 redder product by the cold than by the hot system, but the observa- 

 tions of the bureau seem to indicate no marked difference in the color 

 of the product that may be attributed fairly to either system. 



PULP-MAKING SYSTEMS. 



The only places where the making of satisfactory trimming pulp 

 has come under the observation of the department are those factories 

 in which the tomatoes for canning were very carefully sorted before 

 going to the peeling tables. This is done preferably before the to- 

 matoes have been scalded, as after scalding they are too hot to be 

 handled with any comfort, even when given the customary " chilling." 



Some canners had the sorting done by men who had some other 

 duties around the scalder or washer. This, however, is very unde- 

 sirable, for if satisfactory results are to be obtained it is important 

 that even more critical sorting be maintained than in the making 

 of whole-tomato ketchup or pulp. This necessity for care is equally 

 applicable to all the details of pulp making, such as method, speed of 

 apron, capacity, personnel, and efficiency of the sorters, and prompt- 



