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85
PUBLIC HEALTH (PRESERVATIVES IN FOOD)
REGULATIONS.
The above Regulations had not been enforced at the port of entry
until the year now under review. It was owing to certain facts coming
to light as a result of sampling foods under the Food and Drugs Adulteration
Act, that I considered it desirable foods should be examined at
the source before being actually exposed for sale in shops.
With the portion of time of a third Inspector devoted to port work,
this was found possible, and samples under these Regulations are
now taken on the wharves regularly and submitted to the Borough
Analyst for examination.
The Preservative in Food Regulations prohibit the use of preservatives
except Sulphur Dioxide and Benzoic Acid, and then only in
certain foodstuffs and in certain proportions which must not be exceeded.
During the period under review 44 samples were taken.
As a result of our action several interesting facts came to light
and were reported upon to the Ministry of Health.
CAVIARE.
In the early part of the year a sample of this food was taken for
analysis and found to be preserved with boracic (28.7 grains per
1 lb.), which was in contravention of the Regulations.
The owner admitted the fact, and stated that this food could
only be preserved by one of four methods, viz. : salting, borax,
salicylic acid or urotropine, and that borax was preferable to any.
The two preservatives allowed by the Regulations were useless,
and freezing was impracticable.
The chief point of interest, however, in this case arose in the fact
that the owner had only to declare that the food was for " exportation
only " or for " ships' stores " to evade the Regulations.
This, of course, he did.
It is quite obvious that unless the borax had been discovered in
this particular batch of caviare it could have been sold for consumption
in this country.
There is no doubt that much does escape the notice of the Customs
and the Inspectors, as caviare can be obtained in all the high class
restaurants and hotels.