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67
Conclusions.
All the above-mentioned points have to be carefully considered
in dealing with tinned, or canned, preserved foods.
The tinned, or canned, food industry is an important one
—an enormous amount of food being consumed in this
form. It is estimated that over 600,000 lbs. of such food
are daily consumed in this country. Indeed, tinned, or
canned, salmon is so popular that about 2,000,000 people
eat it daily—one Liverpool firm showing a yearly turnover
of more than 20,000,000 tins, or cans. The American
Bureau of Statistics shows yearly exports of tinned, or
canned, foods to the extent of over 50,000,000 lbs. in
weight. Having regard to the large amount of tinned, or
canned, foods consumed, the reported cases of poisoning
therefrom are almost a negligible quantity, though in this
connection, it must be remembered that many cases of slight
illnesses, though not attributed at the time to the partaking
of unsuitable tinned, or canned, foods, may, in fact, be due
to such. These slight illnesses do not appear in official
records. Allowing for all this, it must be remembered that
proper tinning, or canning, presupposes sterilisation of the
food concerned—the food being partly boiled, then tinned,
or canned, and afterwards sterilised, and this fact explains
why it is that instances of ill effects, arising from the consumption
of tinned, or canned, foods, are so few and far
between.
The Chicago details, as retailed, are revolting, and are
warranted to do an immense amount of harm to the tinned,
and canned, food industries all over the world. No one will
gainsay the need for strict hygienic measures being enforced
at the tinning, and canning, centres, including the careful
inspection and preparation of all foods, previous to tinning,
or canning, which, further, must be efficiently carried out.
As useful, supplemental, articles of diet, tinned, or
canned, foods have, for many years past, held a high
position, and will continue to do so, it is hoped, for many
years to come, when the Chicago "agitation" is forgotten.
It goes without saying that tinned, and canned, foods,
must be carefully prepared, and used when freshly tinned,