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Summarising the results of the examination it was found that of the
57 samples—
28, or about 49 per cent, were good.
10 „ „ .18 „ were bad.
19 „ „ 33 „ were doubtful.
The discovery of human hairs in four of the American preparations, and
dirt and soot in another, is sufficient indication of a laxity of supervision in
manufacture to give warrant for some of the charges made against the
packing bouses in the United States.
Dr. Klein's research showed clearly there was room for considerable
improvement in the manner in which tinned meats were prepared both at
home and abroad, and I advised the Committee that, having regard to the
public health, it would be a wise precaution to institute further enquiries as
to the quality of tinned food sold in the City.
Both wholesale and retail traders in this country had already suffered
seriously from the scare that had been created, and care had to be taken not
to further prejudice them.
In all cases where the results were found to be unsatisfactory, the retail
firms were notified, and they withdrew the goods in question from sale. One
English firm, being satisfied by their own experiments that their goods were
unsatisfactory, ceased to manufacture, and the representatives in this country
of foreign packers approached the Chamber of Commerce on the subject.
This resulted in the Chamber endorsing an opinion expressed by their
Canned Goods Trade Section that the Sanitary Committee should defer
arriving at any decision until two or more men of the highest professional
repute had examined and reported upon similar samples.