Foods and Their Adulteration / Origin, Manufacture, and Composition of Food Products; Description of Common Adulterations, Food Standards, and National Food Laws and Regulations

by Harvey Washington Wiley

Pending further investigations of this process and its necessity, inspectors at the different laboratories are permitted to admit sardines labeled “Packed in Olive Oil” in which a small quantity of peanut oil is found; provided the invoice be accompanied by a certificate, approved by the consul, to the effect that the oil used in packing the sardines was pure olive oil, and that previous to the packing the sardines had been treated in hot peanut oil as described above. The regulations, [F. I. D. 5] c and [F. I. D. 11], are therefore accordingly modified, permitting the importation of sardines labeled “Packed in Olive Oil” when the quantity of peanut oil therein is found not to exceed 5 percent, as nearly as can be determined with a reasonable toleration for difficulties of analysis, and variation in duplicates.

This amendment is of a provisional nature and will be in force until further investigations can be made and until further ordered.

Approved:
James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.
Washington, D. C., September 23, 1905.

(F. I. D. 28.)
MAXIMUM QUANTITY OF SULFUROUS ACID IN WINES.

As a result of a conference between the Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry and Professor Gayon and other members of the French committee of œnology and exporters of wines, held at Bordeaux, August 26, 1905, the following modifications of [F. I. D. 13], issued March 1, 1905, are made:

It was learned from the French expert, Professor Gayon, who is the principal advisor of the committee of œnology, that steps have already been taken to prevent the excessive use of sulfur, which, it is admitted, in years past has been practiced at times in the preparation of French white wines. The quantities of sulfur which are now permitted to be burned are prescribed for each kind of wine in order to avoid any excessive use. It is believed that by these new regulations the wines which are prepared subsequently to the issue of the regulations of March 1, referred to above, namely, the wines of the vintage of 1905 and of subsequent vintages, will not contain a quantity of sulfurous acid in excess of the amounts specified in the regulations of [F. I. D. 13]. Wines prepared previous to these regulations, however, may still contain, even in the absence of notable quantities of sugar, more sulfurous acid than would be permissible under the existing provisional standards.

With the desire to meet the wishes of the French makers and exporters who are endeavoring now to diminish the quantity of sulfurous acid in white wines hereafter made, it is deemed advisable to modify the provisional regulations slightly to avoid as much as possible any retroactive intent. It is therefore prescribed, provisionally, in modification of [F. I. D. 13], that wines imported into the United States from France or other countries, containing not to exceed 350 milligrams of sulfurous acid, may be admitted without respect to the quantity of sugar contained therein. There will also be permitted a tolerance of 20 milligrams per liter to cover the difference in different samples and the variations incident to duplicate analyses. This modification of [F. I. D. 13] will not apply to the wines of the vintage of 1905 nor to succeeding vintages. To wines of these vintages the provisional standards provided in [F. I. D. 13] will still apply until further orders.

Approved:
James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.
Washington, D. C., September 23, 1905.

(F. I. D. 29.)
COLORING MATTERS IN SYNTHETIC FOODS.

The term synthetic food as herein used is applied to a food product made of a mixture of various other food products and not of itself possessed of any of the characteristics of a natural or uncompounded food. Such food products should bear some special name not indicative of natural origin, character, or quality. A class of products typifying such synthetic foods is the product known as candy or confection. It has been customary to use harmless artificial colors in such foods in preparing them for consumption. Such colors are not calculated to deceive or mislead, because the foods themselves do not represent any natural food product. The regulations of this Department applying to imported food products require that such products, when artificially colored, should bear a legend on the label to that effect. This regulation should be construed to apply only to food products which of themselves have a natural color and in which the use of artificial colors would tend to mislead or deceive the purchaser.