152 MAINE AGRICULTURAI, e;xPE:RIME;nT STATION. I909. 



STANDARD FOR OYSTERS. 



IMPORTANT TO DE;AIvERS, SHIPPERS AND TRANSPORTATION 

 COMPANIES. 



The ]\Iaine Food and Drug Taw forbids the addition of any 

 substance to a food which shall "reduce or lower or injuriously 

 affect its quality or strength." By actual examination it has 

 been found that in the case of solid pack oysters the percentage 

 of free liquid that will drain off will not exceed 15 per cent 

 while in the case of opened oysters shipped with ice in the con- 

 tainer the liquid ran as high as 65 per cent and in 24 samples 

 the liquid averaged 56 per cent. But this is not the whole of 

 the story. The iced (watered) oysters had taken in the fresh 

 water and increased in volume so that the meat of the solid 

 pack had 13.4 per cent of dry solids and the meat of the watered 

 stock only 8.6 per cent. Not only is there a less percentage of 

 meats in the watered stock but the meats themselves are only 

 two-thirds as good in the watered stock as in the solid pack. 



The U. S. Board of Food and Drug Inspection have the mat- 

 ter of shipment of opened oysters under advisement. Until 

 further notice the following is the standard for opened oysters 

 in Maine. 



Opened oysters sold in bulk shall not contain ice or added 

 water; nor more than 17 per cent by weight of free liquid; nor 

 less than 10 per cent by weight of total dry solids. 



This standard does not apply to oysters sold in the shell nor 

 to oysters opened at time of sale. 



The attention of public carriers is called to the fact that it 

 is unlawful to transport within the State oysters that do not 

 meet the requirements of the standard. 



