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58
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL ANALYST
(THOMAS McLACHLAN, D.C.M., A.C.G.F.C., F.R.I.C., M.I.Biol.)
During the year 1963, 800 samples of food were examined. Of these 87 were taken formally
and 713 informally.

The winter at the beginning of the year was extremely cold and there was much snow on the
ground causing trouble in the feeding of cattle. This was reflected in the poor quality milk obtained
during the months of February, March and April.
A milk bottle contained a whiteish deposit consisting of dried milk protein together with
silica. This was probably due to a little milk residue at the bottom of the bottle not being removed
by the detergent used and some of the silica from the detergent being absorbed by the dried milk
protein.
Some double cream contained only 41.92 per cent of fat and was 12 per cent deficient in
milk fat.
The solids-not-fat of a sample of cream and one of double cream were 8.45 per cent and 8.10
per cent, when calculated back to the original milk, indicating that the cream had been prepared
from watered milk. The fat contents were 19.8 per cent and 51.91 per cent. Two further samples
contained 21.16 per cent and 49.50 per cent of fat respectively, and solids-not-fat 8.2 per cent
and 6.7 per cent when calculated to the original milk.
Two samples of dairy ice cream were deficient in fat, containing only 4.54 per cent of fat
in each case. The Food Standards Ice Cream Regulations 1959 require the presence of not less
than 5 per cent of fat.
A product sold as Top of the Milk contained only 18 per cent of milk fat and your analyst
in agreement with most public analysts maintains that this is canned cream and must, therefore,
contain not less than 23 per cent of milk fat as required by the Food Standards Cream Order, 1951.
The Food and Drugs Act, 1955 describes cream as that part of milk rich in fat which has been
separated by skimming or otherwise', but it is understood that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food, have sent a letter to the vendors stating that as the product is not described as
cream it is their view that it may legally be sold at a lower standard than is required for canned
cream. Your analyst's opinion is based not merely on his interpretation of the Food and Drugs
Act, but also on the object for which the product is sold. He has, moreover, sent two of his staff
to separate shops to purchase tins of cream and they have been supplied with Top of the Milk. In
one case the assistant refused to take the product as it was not labelled cream and the floor
manager, on being called, informed her that this was the only type of cream they were then selling
Another public analyst similarly sent one of his staff to a third shop and this assistant was again
treated in the same way. Your analyst is very perturbed about this matter since several Local
Authorities were preparing to take legal action, but were discouraged from doing so by the Ministry's
letter although officially the Ministry discontinued its food advisory service many years ago. It
remains to be seen how this situation will develop.
A cream cheese contained only 46.4 per cent of fat on the dry matter, whereas it should
contain not less than 45 per cent of fat on the cheese as sold.