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Of this total 17 (2.8 per cent.) prove I to be adulterated—12 being1 formal and
five informal samples. They comprised brandy, carbonate of soda, milk, sausages,
vinegar, iced cake, icing and white of egg preparation, these last three being
informal samples.
Brandy.—A sample of brandy was found to be 38.93 degrees under proof. The
bottle in which the brandy was sold was labelled not more than 40 degrees under
proof. No offence was therefore established and no action called for.
Carbonate of Soda.—In the case of carbonate of soda certified to be adulterated
it was found that bicarbonate of soda had been substituted, probably by mistake.
Milk.—The milk supply again has been well maintained only four of the 151
samples (2.6 per cent.) having been certified to be adulterated, two by the abstraction
of at least 2 and 3.3 per cent, of fat respectively and two by the addition of
2 and 20 per cent, of water respectively. 11 is interesting to be able to note that
most of the samples of milk have been of good quality. The four cases reported
to be adulterated were dealt with by cautionary letters to the vendors of three
samples and by legal proceedings in the fourth (20 per cent, added water), the
defendant being convicted and fined 40s. with 10s. 6d. costs.
Vinegar.—The sample of vinegar was slightly deficient in acetic acid which
should not fall below 4 per cent.
Sausages.—Twenty-three samples of sausages were examined and four found
to be preserved with sulphite preservative, the quantity varying from 120 to 330
parts of sulphur dioxide per million. The Preservative Regulations permit the
use of sulphite preservative in sausages provided the quantity does not exceed 450
parts per million expressed in terms of sulphur dioxide, and that the fact is duly
notified on the label in the manner prescribed.
Iced Cake, etc.—Iced cake, icing and white of egg preparation may be grouped
together conveniently as the white of egg is used for making the icing used on the
cake. All these were found to contain sulphite preservative, the quantity in the
white of egg preparation varying from 1,043 to 1,317 parts of sulphur dioxide per
million, and the icing and iced cake 40 and 90 parts respectively, The wholesaler
stopped the sale of the white of egg preparation.
Pharmaceutical Preparations.—All these proved to have been dispensed with
due care and attention to the requirements of the Pharmacopœia.
Cheese.—Recently it hasi become customary to sell cheese wrapped in tin foil
and there can be little doubt that in nearly all cases the cheese does attack the
metal wrapper with the result that some tin compound is formed in or on the
cheese. In the early parti of the year 10 samples of an Italian soft cheese which
had been packed in tin foil were examined for that metal. The foil had become
much disintegrated in some of the samples and before making the analysis the visible
portions of the metal were picked out so that as far as possible any tin found could
be attributed to the chemical action of the cheese on the metal. The results were