Foods and Their Adulteration: Origin, Manufacture, and Composition of Food Products; Description of Common Adulterations, Food Standards, and National Food Laws and RegulationsWiley, Harvey Washington
Science
Foods and Their Adulteration: Origin, Manufacture, and Composition of Food Products; Description of Common Adulterations, Food Standards, and National Food Laws and Regulations
Wiley, Harvey Washington
Food; Food adulteration and inspection
=Inspection after Slaughter.=--The inspection after slaughter is of the
utmost importance, not even second to that of the proper inspection
during fattening and before slaughter. The veterinarian, skilled in
his science, can tell by the inspection of the vital organs of the
slaughtered animal whether it is affected with any organic disease.
Among cattle the most frequent organic diseases are lumpy jaw and
tuberculosis. In the case of swine one of the most common of diseases
is trichinosis. In the latter case an inspection of the vital organs of
the animal is not sufficient. The muscles of the swine, first and most
commonly affected by trichinosis, must be examined microscopically in
order to eliminate the possibility of the flesh of such animals going
into commerce untagged or unnoticed.
If the flesh of the swine impregnated with trichinosis be thoroughly
cooked practically all of the danger to man is eliminated. The
consumer, however, should not be subjected to the chance of imperfect
cooking. A swine affected with trichinosis should either be refused
admission into consumption or should be so tagged that the consumer
should know the danger to which he is exposed in order to take the
necessary precaution to safeguard his health.
=Tuberculosis.=--There is a difference of opinion among veterinary and
hygienic experts respecting the disposition which is to be made of
carcasses affected with tuberculosis. It is claimed by some that if
the tuberculosis is local, that is, does not extend beyond the lungs,
there is no reason why the flesh of the animal should be refused to
the consumer. The basis of this contention is founded upon the opinion
of some of the most eminent veterinarians that bovine tuberculosis
and human tuberculosis are entirely distinct diseases and cannot be
transmitted either from the cow to man or vice versâ. It is not the
province of this manual to decide this controversy, although it is
only right that the consumer should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Therefore, if the carcass of an animal affected with local tuberculosis
is to be passed into consumption it should be plainly marked as the
flesh of a tuberculosed animal,--not only the carcass as a whole, but
every piece thereof that is introduced into consumption directly or
after canning or mincing. The consumer is thus left free to choose
for himself whether to eat such meat or not. There is a universal
agreement among hygienists and veterinarians that where tuberculosis
is generalized, that is, has affected practically all the organs of the
body, the carcasses should be condemned. No one will take exceptions
to this ruling, though it does not appear very plain to the ordinary
consumer why a little tuberculosis is not a bad thing if a great deal
of it is a very bad thing. There is an unfortunate tendency in many
quarters to neglect minute effects and only pay attention to mass
action. This does not seem to be a reasonable or desirable method of
procedure.
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