Food contamination was a common problem in the early 20th century. Contaminants that would shock us today were routinely found in food products. Sawdust was added to coffee, and chalk was added to milk to improve its appearance. Vivid colors for candy were created with lead, arsenic, coal tar, and copper compounds. Mercury was used to improve the appearance of preserved cherries. In the days before refrigeration, butchers used borax to keep meat from spoiling. In 1906, Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle described the unsanitary conditions of food production. Increased public awareness led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act.
North Dakota had a secret weapon and was years ahead of the federal government when it came to protecting the food supply. The state had Edwin F. Ladd, a determined advocate for pure food and drug laws. Ladd has been described as “one of the early heroes of the pure food and drug movement.” He concluded that North Dakota was “a dumping-ground for the waste food products.” Largely because of his efforts, North Dakota passed the Adulteration of Food Act in 1903, three years before Congress passed a similar law covering the entire country. Thanks to Ladd’s efforts, North Dakotans could buy a can of ground pepper and be confident they were not purchasing ground coconut shells.
On this date in 1912, North Dakotans learned that the state was taking on another food product. Catsup shipped into the state contained decomposed tomatoes that were “unfit for human consumption.” The product could not be sold in North Dakota, but when it was found, wholesalers were allowed to remove it. That meant they could sell it in other states where enforcement of pure food laws was more lax.
North Dakota sent a strong message to producers of contaminated food. Wholesalers would no longer be allowed to remove the catsup and sell it elsewhere. Instead, the state would seek a court order to seize and destroy it as unfit for human consumption. If the product was found on the shelves of North Dakota stores, it would be destroyed. Retailers were warned to “govern yourselves accordingly.” The announcement was signed, “E. F. Ladd, Food Commissioner.”
Ladd was widely recognized as a national leader who played a key role in protecting the quality of the nation’s food supply.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Bismarck Tribune. “Cannot Remove Catsup.” Bismarck ND. 8/12/1912. Page 4.
- Center for Disease Control. “Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Safer and Healthier Foods.” https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4840a1.htmAccessed 7/21/2026.
- Daily Dish. “10 Foods Banned After The Pure Food Laws Of The Early 1900s.” https://dailydish.co.uk/foods-banned-after-the-pure-food-laws-of-the-early-1900s/Accessed 7/21/2026.
- ND Studies. “Edwin F. Ladd and the Pure Food Movement.” https://www.ndstudies.gov/gr8/content/unit-iii-waves-development-1861-1920/lesson-4-alliances-and-conflicts/topic-6-progressive-movements/section-4-edwin-f-ladd-and-pure-food-movementAccessed 7/21/2026.
