COMMERCIAL CANNING OF FOODS, 5 
One of the marked contrasts between the newer and older construction is the pro- 
vision for plenty of light. Light has a beneficial effect upon employees, contributes 
to cleanliness, and is an active, constant disinfectant. High ceilings and proper roof 
construction usually render artificial ventilation unnecessary, but if mechanical 
measures are employed, a blower system with provision for cleaning the air is to be 
preferred to suction. An abundance of light and air is a combination which will 
contribute to the maximum of labor efficiency. 
A tight, hard floor is a necessity, and in all rooms where manufacturing processes 
are conducted it should be pitched about 14 inches for each 10 feet. The pitching 
should have special reference to the position of machines and tables where there will 
be more or less water or waste, so that this may be confined and the floors be flushed 
clean and kept reasonably dry with the minimum of labor. There should be frequent 
trap connections with the sewer. The kind of material best adapted for a floor will 
depend in a measure upon whether it is to be used for dry work and storage or whether 
water is employed more or less freely. Factories having a short packing season, as 
in the case of tomato canning, find concrete to be the best. Wood shrinks, swells, 
and cracks with changes of moisture; the cracks are hard to clean, leakage is almost 
certain to occur, and these conditions become aggravated in factories which are idle 
a part of the time. Wood with a smooth covering, such as sheet roofing, makes a 
good floor, but will not last long. Concrete is more or less porous, wears rough, and 
is not an ideal floor, but is the best for certain conditions. Asphalt wears away and 
crumbles too easily. Upper floors should not be chosen for food preparation if plenty 
of ground space is available, for the reason that it is difficult to keep them tight. 
Furthermore, the work can be supervised to better advantage on one floor than on 
many, unless the departments are so large as to demand a superintendent in each. 
Conveyers can be obtained to handle products from one machine to another, and these 
are more easily kept clean than are floors. Conveyers and overhead tracks should be 
used in handling the product as far as is possible, in preference to trucks, as the latter 
are destructive of floors and are not so clean. 
The use of slat gratings to cover the floor about the kettles or other places where 
there is a splashing or overflow of water is especially to be commended. These 
may be made in sections about 2 by 4 feet, and can be taken up for cleaning. There 
is no excuse for floors being so wet or sloppy that the workers must wear rubbers, 
which is sometimes the case. All side walls, partitions, ceilings, and supports should 
be smooth, to admit of easy cleaning. Preferably they should be light-colored and, 
as far as possible, of such material as can be washed with a hose, as this is the easiest 
method of cleaning or of applying whitewash. Some factories need to be divided by 
partitions to prevent unnecessary heating by steam from the cookers. In other cases 
the room where the material ready for the can is kept should be separated from the 
rooms in which the preparation is going on, in order to protect it from dust. That 
part of the factory in which prepared material is in any way exposed should be 
screened to keep out flies and dust. This precaution is often of greater importance 
than the protection of the workroom, as during the working period the moving of 
machinery and escaping steam will drive away insects. 
The tables used in the preparation of foods should be plain and of a material that is 
easily cleaned. There should be no sharp angles or grooves where waste can accumu- 
late, nor any places beneath where material can be stored. Hardwood, such as maple 
or ash, is probably the best material for the majority of factories. These woods will 
absorb little water or juices, they show soil quickly, and clean easily with soap, water, 
and scrubbing brush. Opal glass or porcelain makes excellent table tops, but is 
expensive. Enamel-coated metal has come into use, and under certain conditions 
gives excellent results. The important point is that the tables may be cleaned 
easily, and that it be done often. The machinery used should be of the most sanitary 
type and set in such a manner as to be accessible from all sides for cleaning. Con- 
