As already suggested, you should own standard scales for testing the purchases made by weight, even baker's bread. Buy fruit and vegetables by the quart, peck, and bushel, rather than by the basket of uncertain measure. Examine baskets containing small fruits to see if they have false bottoms. If you discover small measure, report at once to the dealer, and to whatever authority has charge of such matters in your town. Quality. — Modem methods of manufacture, transporta-^ tion, and storage make it difficult to determine the history and quality of food we purchase in the markets. Yet the consumer has a natural right to know if the food offered for sale is the best of its kind ; fresh eggs, clean milk, meat from healthy animals, imtainted and free from harmful preserva- tives, sound vegetables and fruit, manufactured and pre- served foodstuffs unspoiled by the manufacturing processes, free from harmful preservatives, and of good flavor. Many people must be in danger of forgetting the flavor of a fresh- laid egg. The familiar signs in many small shops, " Fresh THE COST AND PURCHASING OF FOOD 289 eggs," " Strictly fresh eggs," " Fancy eggs," are amusing, but they bespeak an unnatural state of things. As our business methods have created conditions beyond the control of the individual consumer it follows that we must take concerted action, and make and enforce whatever laws are necessary. This is done partly through the Federal government, and partly through state laws and municipal ordinances. Thus, while we may not know the actual con- ditions in which food is produced, we may through legislation seek to insure that the food we buy shall be (1) what it purports to be in kind and amount, (2) free from deterioration or unwholesome conditions, (3) possessed of full nutritive value. The Federal Food and Drugs Act of June 30, 1906, com- monly known as " The Pure Food Law," and on which sub- sequent legislation by most of the states has been largely based^ defines the main types of adulteration and misbrand- ing, but, except in the case of confectionery and of habit- forming drugs, does not name the specific substances which are to be prohibited or restricted in use, nor does the law itself contain standards of composition for foods. According to this law a food is deemed adulterated : (1) If any substance has been mixed or packed with it so as to reduce or lower or injuriously affect its quality or strength. (2) If any substance has been substituted, wholly or in part. (3) If any valuable constituent has been wholly or in part abstracted. (4) If it be mixed, colored, coated, powdered, or stained in a manner whereby damage or inferiority is concealed. (5) If it contain any added poisonous or other added deleterious ingredient which may render such article in- jurious to health. u 290 FOODS AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT (6) If it consists in whole or in part of a filthy, decom- posed, or putrid animal or vegetable substance, or any por- tion of an animal unfit for food, or if it be the product of a diseased animal, or one that has died otherwise than by slaughter. And a food is deemed to be misbranded : (1) If it be an imitation of or offered for sale imder the distinctive name of another article.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

As already suggested, you should own standard scales for testing the purchases made by weight, even baker's bread. Buy fruit and vegetables by the quart, peck, and bushel, rather than by the basket of uncertain measure. Examine baskets containing small fruits to see if they have false bottoms. If you discover small measure, report at once to the dealer, and to whatever authority has charge of such matters in your town. Quality. — Modem methods of manufacture, transportation, and storage make it difficult to determine the history and quality of food we purchase in the markets. Yet the consumer has a natural right to know if the food offered for sale is the best of its kind ; fresh eggs, clean milk, meat from healthy animals, untainted and free from harmful preservatives, sound vegetables and fruit, manufactured and preserved foodstuffs unspoiled by the manufacturing processes, free from harmful preservatives, and of good flavor. Many people must be in danger of forgetting the flavor of a freshlaid egg. The familiar signs in many small shops, " Fresh eggs," " Strictly fresh eggs," " Fancy eggs," are amusing, but they bespeak an unnatural state of things. As our business methods have created conditions beyond the control of the individual consumer it follows that we must take concerted action, and make and enforce whatever laws are necessary. This is done partly through the Federal government, and partly through state laws and municipal ordinances. Thus, while we may not know the actual conditions in which food is produced, we may through legislation seek to insure that the food we buy shall be (1) what it purports to be in kind and amount, (2) free from deterioration or unwholesome conditions, (3) possessed of full nutritive value. The Federal Food and Drugs Act of June 30, 1906, commonly known as " The Pure Food Law," and on which subsequent legislation by most of the states has been largely based, defines the main types of adulteration and misbranding, but, except in the case of confectionery and of habitforming drugs, does not name the specific substances which are to be prohibited or restricted in use, nor does the law itself contain standards of composition for foods. According to this law a food is deemed adulterated : (1) If any substance has been mixed or packed with it so as to reduce or lower or injuriously affect its quality or strength. (2) If any substance has been substituted, wholly or in part. (3) If any valuable constituent has been wholly or in part abstracted. (4) If it be mixed, colored, coated, powdered, or stained in a manner whereby damage or inferiority is concealed. (5) If it contain any added poisonous or other added deleterious ingredient which may render such article injurious to health. u (6) If it consists in whole or in part of a filthy, decomposed, or putrid animal or vegetable substance, or any portion of an animal unfit for food, or if it be the product of a diseased animal, or one that has died otherwise than by slaughter. And a food is deemed to be misbranded : (1) If it be an imitation of or offered for sale under the distinctive name of another article.

Foods and household management