Show pure food makes s important gains salmon sardines and butter improved shows agricultural department washington among the various food industries in which the enforcement of alie food and drugs act has brought about noticeably improved conditions during the past year dr C A browne chief of the bureau of chemistry united states department of agriculture cites the salmon can nang industry the butter industry and the sardine packing industry the bad situation which formerly existed in the silmon canning indus try as the result of a few canners persistently putting up decomposed fish has been cleared up to a con eld erable extent this past year according to doctor browne this ress was made easier by the fact that nearly all of the cases against violators ultimately resulted in verdicts for the government this has demonstrated to those packers who are not disposed through a sense of decency to put up a sound and wh oleme pack that it Is feces gary for them to do so in order to comply with the law in its campaign the bureau has bad the whole hearted support of the better element of the industry which through pressure on offending members has assisted in the process of reform better butter sampling and examination of shipments of butter undertaken during the months of maximum production and greatest traffic resulted in the seizure by orders of the courts of ship ments which were not in compliance with the legal standard for butter or were short in weight in addition 85 cases were developed for alon in the courts tills increase in the number of seizures effected over those reported for 1924 does not andl cate necessarily eliat there was a proportionately larger output of low tat batter but Is thought to be due to perfected control measures and to the fact that the output of many cream cries which bad not been subjected to surveillance during former years was inspected another industry which according to doctor browne has shown a very material improvement Is the sardine packing industry of maine it has been the practice over a period of years to can sardines which have un bergon a species of decomposition resulting in hat Is known as a belly blown condition canned elsh of tills type are classed as adulterated under the food afia drugs act As a combined result of seizures of decomposed sardines and of extensive educational work among the packers over a number of years the pack this season Is more nearly free from this and other types of objectionable fish than in any past season during which supervision has been maintained action was taken by the food of to prevent the shipment into interstate commerce of california oranges rendered unfit tor food by a dla freeze improvement was brought about n the canning of blueberries in milne through the use of an apparatus devised by the food officials for demov ing unsound berries A marked reduction in the proportion of rota and spots included in shipments of shell eggs was also noted during the year 1656 court actions altogether 1 court actions were instituted during the past bear they included in addition to those men cases based upon adulteration or of such commodities as alimentary paste apple butter baked products baking powder beverages coffee colors confectionery buttermilk cheese drugs frozen eggs feeds shellfish extracts flour fresh canned and dried fruits jellies maple sugar corn meal pow dered milk nuts oils oleomargarine rice sauce soups spices and condiments tea canned and fresh et ables vinegar and water more than cases have been terminated in federal courts since the enactment of the food and drugs act although much improvement la brought about through prosecution of violators the bureau regards the law as a corrective rather than a alve measure the specialists of the bureau assist manufacturers and others in obtaining information that will enable them to so conduct their proc esses of manufacturing packing storing and shipping that their prod acts V ill meet the requirements of the law ahe extensive information developed by their researches on the composition methods ot manufacture and whole som enesa of various foods Is made available to all who desire to improve their processes or the quality of their products information also Is furnished regarding the labeling requirements in order that each manufacturer may de vise truthful and informing labels or bis products |