FINE CONFECTIONERY.

NZ Truth, Issue 73, 10 November 1906, Page 5

FINE CONFECTIONERY.

How Some Sweets are Manufactured m Wellington

And From What?

Our Own Particular " Jungle."

There has been brought to this office a box of "Fin.c Turkey Figs," taken from a large stock of similar goods upon the premises of a wellknown and supposedly, reputable manufacturer of fine confectionery m Wellington. It was taken m the interests of the public and brought here to bear mute evidence as to the sort of stuff that unscrupulous manufacturers will put into their "choice •GK^B^^4^MB^bm^h^^^^lo sa-

fol^Sra^flp^PSifwsry^^Se^ieas^sus^ picious Wat Chicago is not the only place that can boast a "Jungle," or that needs the pen and pluck of an Upton .Sinclair to expose its horrors.

The box of figs m question is what is known as a 21b box and it is inhabited. There is more than figs m it. It teems with life. Insects the size of a small beetle run about between the layers and emerge hurriedly from the pulp of every fig as it is lifted, while microsoopic examination shows myriads of tiny maggots and creepy thinejs generally, on the outer and inner surface of each fruit. This one box is apparently calculated and equipped to destroy a whole settlement, and it was taken from a pile amounting to cart loads, stacked on tibe premises- of the confectioner aforesaid. These delectable fruit are actually now goinp- into consumption m the shape of dainty looking fruit chocolates. The figs are first put through, a mincing machine that chops them fine without m anyway; incommoding the live stock, except inthe case of the thousands of little brown bugs. They, no doubt, nicely, minced, add a piquancy to the flavor of the chocolate the pretty miss munches and nibbles at the theatre o 1 nights, or m her boudoir or bedroom at home. If she reads this she ought to nibble with a still more pensive air than is now considered the correct .expression when so engaged- 'The fruit is not cooked, remember. It is simply rolled into little wads and dropped into a bath, of warm chocolate. This serves as a magnificent nursery or breeding ground for the germs, and by th« time the "nice, fresh chocolate" gets into circulation among those who affect such provender, the germs arc all good and strong and ready to e<et into the circulation of their new. host, the devourer of the said chocolate, and inter alia, of the «erms.

This same enterprising; confectioner is also the purchaser of large cousignments ol condensed milk that has been condemned by the heaiOh authorities. It is stated that he has quite recently bought a hie; lot and is now using it m the manufacture of caramels. It is black with decomposition and must be the happy, home of trillions of disease germs— the best of this alleged "milk" is always that, what then must this rotten filth be ?— -and our wives and daughters and our little* ones" eat these horrors by the ton, weekly. Ugh !

There are other pretty tales told ajbout this admirable confectionery factory ; but enough has been said this week to give the people an idea of what they are liable to swallow, when they eat lollies, and the supine health authorities a hint that it is up to them to «et a move on-