Your ShelfYour Projects

Some Facts About Meat

5%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 31, 1906

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 83, No. 22.

Read the full edition

Some Facts About Meat

By L. A. S.

L. A. S.
Some interesting facts for meat eaters are published in the May issue of that conservative and reliable magazine, The World's Work. The statements made rest upon the authority of persons who are in every way qualified to speak on the subject; and they are published, the editor says, “because the danger to the health of the people demands that a strong authority—the federal authority—shall work a radical reform in the conduct of the whole industry.”
Dr. W. K. Jaques, formerly city bacteriologist and head of the meat inspection at the Chicago stock-yards, gives a picture of meat inspection, the salient features of which are that the authority of the United States inspectors does not extend to meat for domestic use, and that the local inspection of meat is a farce which affords no protection at all to the consumer.
The Chicago stock-yards are the principal source of the meat supply of the nation. “Within a generation,” says Dr. Jaques, “the work of slaughtering domestic animals and converting them into food products has been gathered into a few centers. By the aid of refrigeration, by improved methods, and by the utilization of by-products, a few men have been able to dominate the meat supply of the nation. It is no longer a matter of choice with consumers; they must buy the products of the packing-houses of these men or go without.”
Dr. Jaques states that during the first month in which he was superintendent of inspection, “one meat inspector made only one condemnation for that month, and that of an immature calf. Another inspector made no report to me of any work done during my entire term of office, and I was powerless to compel him to do so because of his political backing.” There were four inspectors, and of these, two were at the same time engaged in the practise of veterinary medicine, while a third was attending a medical college. “This comprised the mighty bulwark which was legally empowered to stand between the public and diseased meat.”
The result is that the public consume immense quantities of diseased meat—meat full of ulcers, tuberculosis, abscesses, trichinæ, etc., and tainted with the poison of various diseases, such as lump-jaw, cancer, and cholera. This is a truth to be borne in mind by persons who are at all particular about what they put into their mouths and absorb into their systems.
The force of government inspectors employed at the packing-houses is utterly inadequate for the task assigned them. On this point Dr. Jaques says:—
“The accuracy and thoroughness of the work of these inspectors can be judged when it is estimated that from sixteen hundred to two thousand two hundred cattle are often killed under the eye of a single inspector in a day of from eight to ten hours. Walking back and forth through the killing beds, the inspector can give only the briefest glance at the animals that are being converted into food. In this glance he is supposed to detect evidences of disease which pathologists may require hours to find.”
“The government employs about one hundred and seventy persons. Of these about fifty are skilled animal pathologists, capable of inspecting meats. There have been received at the stock-yards in a single day one hundred and fifty thousand animals. The slaughter of fifty thousand is not an unusual day’s work. And yet the packers and government inspectors say that ‘every animal is government inspected.’”
“The supervision of the slaughtering at all the smaller packing-houses within the city limits of a hundred and ninety-six square miles falls to the city inspector. The possibility of six men’s properly inspecting the enormous quantity of slaughtering over such an area is absurd. Twenty-five could hardly cope with the situation under a vigorous and conscientious head. In addition to this, the city inspectors are expected to be present at the destruction of all diseased meat found by the government inspectors, and should also look over all meat passed by them.”
Dr. Jaques’s method of preventing the sale of condemned diseased meat for food was to sprinkle it with low-grade kerosene oil. “The meat treated with kerosene can not be used for food, nor can the fat be converted into butterin, oleomargarin, and similar products.” The doctor relates this incident:—
“I sent one of my inspectors to slaughter-houses with orders to kerosene all meat he found unfit for use. He returned in a state of great indignation and excitement, saying that the men fought hard and long to keep him from using kerosene. “‘Why,’ said he, ‘I drew out seven hogs that were diseased with cholera, and went to get my kerosene can. When I returned, there were only two left.’ ‘Where are the other five?’ I asked, and the man replied, ‘They are in sausage by this time.’”
Persons who are fond of sausage should be shown this and the following statement:—
“One other incident would go to show that sausage advertised as ‘government inspected’ is a rather uncertain article. Immediately following the passing of the meat by the government inspector, the beef trimmers cut off all unsightly portions, bruised or injured places, enlarged glands or abscesses. I asked the inspector what was done with these trimmings. ‘Sausage,’ was his laconic reply. Can an inspector guarantee all the component parts of sausage when he examines the finished product?”
“It is only necessary to refer to the boast of the packer that ‘nothing is lost,’ to imagine what the by-products of the packing industry may mean. What are called ‘trade secrets’ means the selling of unsuitable things under palatable names.”
Some beef can be obtained at a considerably lower price than other beef which to all appearance is no better in quality. The secret of this is that the low-priced beef is from a diseased animal from which the marks of the disease have been removed. Much beef from lump-jaw cattle is sold at this lower price. A hotel or restaurant keeper can go into the cooling room of a packing-house, says Dr. Jaques, and “secure as fine-looking beef as ever went on a table at a price that will insure him a fine profit.” Dr. Jaques lays emphasis upon the fact “that there is but one time in the preparation of meat when effective and adequate inspection can take place, and that is at the time of killing, when the animal is opened, and all organs are intact. Certain glands and portions of the viscera are most important in theevidence of disease. Unless time is taken to search for this evidence, a stroke of the knife separates it from the animal, and the disease can then only be traced by tedious methods.”
One other cause of laxity in the inspection of meat, as pointed out by Dr. Jaques, is the fact that there is “no well-defined standard of condemnation. While government instructions are clear and definite concerning export meat, the inspector is permitted to use his judgment about that intended for domestic use. A man’s judgment is the result of his education. With the government rules permitting the passing of tubercular meat, and authorities differing so widely regarding what is fit to eat, the inspector can justify himself for various standards. So he is between two interests: on the one hand is the ever-present dominating interest of the packer. To tank the man’s sides of beef is like burning his fifty-dollar bills. On the other hand is the absent public, fickle and ignorant. Is it strange that meat which the inspector would not eat himself goes to the public by the ton?”
(To be continued)