File No. 7661/31–33.
The Acting Secretary of
State to Chargé Wilson.
Department of State,
Washington, December 6,
1907.
No. 149.]
Sir: In further reply to your dispatch No. 630
of October 17 last, in which you request, for communication to the
Argentine officials concerned in the rejection of shipments of
Underwood’s deviled ham, copies of the regulations of the Department of
Agriculture in relation to boric acid in meat products, and copies of
the records of its analyses of the samples of Underwood’s deviled ham
which have accompanied your dispatches on the subject, I inclose
herewith a copy of a letter from the Acting Secretary of Agriculture
inclosing reports of the analyses of the samples of ham referred to, and
a copy of the regulations governing the meat inspection of the United
States Department of Agriculture (Bureau of Animal Industry, Order No.
137).
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
The Acting Secretary of
Agriculture to the Secretary of
State.
Department of Agriculture,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C., November 30,
1907.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 25th instant inclosing copies of two
dispatches from the legation at Buenos Aires concerning the presence
of boric acid in Underwood’s deviled ham, and requesting that your
department be furnished with a copy of the regulations of the
Department of Agriculture governing the use of boric acid in meat
food products, and also copies of analyses made of the samples of
deviled ham submitted by the legation at Buenos Aires.
In compliance with your request, I hand you herewith a copy of the
regulations governing meat inspectiona and refer you to regulation 39, which deals
particularly with the use of preservatives in meat food products.
You will see from this regulation that boric acid is not permitted
to be used. I may say, however, that as boric acid is very widely
distributed in nature, the department necessarily takes cognizance
of this fact, and the presence of mere traces of this substance is
not regarded as sufficient to warrant the condemnation of a
foodstuff.
I also inclose a report of the analyses of samples of Underwood’s
deviled ham which were transmitted by you under date of October 21,
1907, and October 31, 1907.
I have, etc.,
[Page 37]
[Subinclosure.]
[Copies from records of the Bureau of Animal Industry,
United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.]
analyses of samples of underwood’s
original deviled ham received from the honorable secretary of
state.
Sample No. 1350.—Received October 23, 1907, accompanying dispatch No.
606. Can unopened; upon opening contents were found to be clean and
in good conditoo small to be determined quantitatively, and not
greater than the amount which might be present normally in the
substances used in the manufacture of this product.
Sample No. 1351.—Received October 23, 1907, accompanying dispatch No.
606. Can unopened; upon opening contents were found to be clean and
in good condition. Analysis showed a mere trace of boric acid, not
exceeding that found in sample No. 1350.
Sample No. 1401.—Received November 2, 1907, accompanying dispatch No.
613. Small can; weight about one-eighth pound unopened; upon opening
the contents were found to consist of good clean meat having a spicy
odor. Analysis showed this product to contain a mere trace of boric
acid, the amount being much too small to be estimated quantitatively
and not greater than might occur normally in the substances from
which the product was manufactured.
