Adulteration of Food in Paris.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 41, 24 August 1870, Page 7

Adulteration of Food in Paris.

riie French do not enjoy their food tliout suspicion any more than we do, t they seem to take tolerably energetic .yl asures towards securing the purity of jrf ! articles they consume. A French jourliudoring about what he calls the r," says "that he suddenly became a great tumult not far from him, ling to ascertain the cause, purport which appeared to belong to ployees of the prefect of police, :h was fast filling with hams, sanul other savoury articles, amid ghter and plenty of “ chatf.” This i came to an end, and the agents refect were about to retire, when prompted the amused spectator into conversation with one of pecting the strange scene. “ Sir,” 3 individual, with honest pride, ms no idea of the services we renBut for us, the population would ated. You see, sir, that in a town in which you must satisfy nearly ion appetites daily, the supply of ic need offers facilities for imposi,ch would lead to universal fraud measures were not taken. Everylat can be eaten or drunk tempts dity of adulterators. It would be nnocuous frauds alone were perpeHe who adulterates coffee with chestnuts, acorns, potato, beetrot, turnip, maize, can give no one ever, but some will employ ground |ncks, Oil may be adulterated in thirtyJSlit different ways. As to this, it is only ||>|bo remarked that Paris consumes more jlpn a million litres of salad oil; but only Ih||av3oo litres at most of real olive oil find W wa y to 1C capital. What is the rest fife of? Truffles are made at will’with s, mushrooms, and even cork. In the •at djfcof restaurants yon find cats’, es’, anowen rats’ flesh cooked. Yes, vithont continual supervision continual nips would occur. This supervision is cised it} the most varied forms. Sixty ectors incessantly keep watch over the liters’ meat; wine-tasters are employed udge of the beverages sold in 3000 Miisian public-houses. At the Halle 70 I -sons are employed solely to ascertain, I holding eggs up to a lighted caudle, I lether they are fresh enough for con- | option. As to ourselves, sir, we form rt of the scenting-out brigade. It is our I ty to discover by the smell the condition pll sorts of eatables offered for sale, abegin our work every day at 8 o’clock, acridly arranging not to pass over the bund already reconnoitred by our coljigues; but this we sometimes have to as those tradesmen whose goods have m

been lately overhauled are very apt to think themselves safe, and take advantage of their fancied security to make dishonest profits. In twelve months wo visit 200 establishments, and we have to bring about twenty actions a-week against dishonest tradesmen. All comes under our jurisdiction—tainted meat, rotten fruit, milk adulterated with horses’ brains, whiting, &c. This is not all; wo have to examine the state of the kitchen utensils in the 5800 restaurants and eating-houses of the capital, otherwise verdigris would claim a yearly tribute of victims.” —Pall Mall Gazette,