Other Foods
The previous five cases have focused on food groups for which there exists a significant amount of material in the Law Library's collections. But other foods or their purveyors have, of course, been subject to laws and regulations for years. The items displayed here relate to other foods, of both the forest and the marketplace, which do not figure as prominently in the law but which have, nevertheless, been the objects of law. They range from a 16th century game law to a twentieth century book on American food and drug regulations.
John Baillie, A digest of Mohummudan law according to the tenets of the twelve imams. Book 1, "Of merchandise or commerce," Calcutta : The Honorable Company's Press, 1805.
Chapter 8: Of the sale of fruit.
This chapter covers the guidelines for harvesting and selling not just fruit, such as dates--which are frequently mentioned--but all fruits of the earth, including vegetables, herbs, grapes, oilseeds and grains. Great emphasis is placed on the proper degree of ripeness of produce as a requirement for legal sale. This state of "perfect ripeness" is based primarily on observation; "the rising of the Pleiades or vernal stars has no influence whatever to the eyes of the law, with regard to ascertaining the condition of fruits." These laws cover the rights and responsibilities of both buyer and seller and the proper procedures to follow in a number of situations.
Ruth deForest Lamb. American chamber of horrors : the truth about food and drugs. New York : Farrar & Rinehart, 1936.
This cartoon from the "Food Field Reporter" illustrates a chapter on the labeling of canned foods, an issue of considerable concern and anxiety to canners in the mid-1930s, when stricter grade labeling was proposed. ("NRA" here stands for National Recovery Administration.) Other chapters discuss pesticide residues in fruit, diseases of livestock and poultry, lack of sanitation in commercial food preparation, deceptive packaging, and the Copeland bill, a proposed revision to the Food and Drugs Act of 1907.
Arrest du conseil d'état du roy, du douziéme juin 1708. [Paris : s.n., 1708]
This arrêt orders the creation of 50 positions of "licensed comptrollers of fruit" for the city and environs of Paris. They were ordered to make inventories of the quantity and quality of fruits found in the markets in order that the proper tariffs be paid on fruit coming into the city.
Privilege du roy, exclusif pour la fourniture de la glace. Donné à Versailles au mois d'avril 1701. [Paris] : François Muguet, 1701.
This privilege renews the license of Louis de Beaumont to furnish ice and snow to Parisian and provincial retailers. It seems likely that this ice and snow was largely destined to be used in making ice cream or flavored ices, which were introduced into France in about 1660. Until the mid-eighteenth century these were sold only during the summer months. This privilege notes that ices were useful for good health and had, in fact, become a necessity to people in the warmer southern provinces.
England, statutes. Anno xxiii. Reginae Elizabethae. London : Christopher Barker, 1581.
23 Elizabeth I, c. 10
An acte for the preservation of fesaunts and partridges.
Where the game of fesauntes & partridges is within these fewe yeeres in manner utterly decayed and destroyed in all partes of this realme, by meanes of such as take them with nettes, snares, and other engins and devices, aswell by day as by night, ...
This act is one of many English game laws, a prominent category of English law, which evolved from Norman forest law, and lasted into the 19th century. While ostensibly passed to preserve wild game, one of the primary aims of game laws was to preserve the hunting privileges of the aristocracy. Poaching was clearly a constant problem and laws such as this one reappear regularly. In this case, anyone caught poaching pheasants or partridges was subject to fines and possible imprisonment.
Arrest du conseil d'estat du roy, sur les beurres & fromages venant des pays estrangers. Paris : l'Imprimerie Royale, 1723.
This arrêt prolonged an abatement of tariffs on both imported butter and cheese, and French butter and cheeses transported from one province to another.
Edit du roy, portant création de cent charges de jurez-vendeurs de volaille en la ville de Paris. Paris : la veuve François Muguet & Hubert Muguet, 1708.
In order to raise money to finance the War of the Spanish Succession (1700-1714), this edict of Louis XIV reestablishes 100 positions for licensed sellers of poultry, game, suckling pigs, lamb, horsemeat, eggs, butter and cheese. These licensed sellers must pay the crown a tariff of one sol per pound of merchandise sold.
Reglemens de police pour la ville et faubourgs de Reims. Reims : B. Multeau, 1727.
From this list of merchants liable for annual taxes to the city of Reims, one can glean information about what sort of food items were available to the population, and who sold what. Listed in this section are sellers of wine, fruit, veal, pork, grains, legumes, fish (including salmon), butter and cheese. Market gardeners from the country who came to sell their produce in the city were also taxed.