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62
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
Skimmed or Separated Milk.
3. Where a sample of skimmed or separated milk (not being condensed milk) contains less than 9 per cent,
of milk-solids, it shall be presumed for the purposes of the Sale of Pood and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899, until the
contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine, by reason of the abstraction therefrom of milk-solids other than
milk-fat, or the addition thereto of water.
The standard came into operation on September 1st last.
A newly introduced process for the sophistication of butter has received more attention during
the past year than any other matter connected with food adulteration. It has been discovered that
the amount of water retained by butter can be greatly increased by re-churning the butter with
whole milk. Butter when well made contains not more than 16 per cent, of water, and many
samples much less—e.g., the "hard" colonial butters. It is with these that the sophistication is
carried out.
The vendors buy "hard" butters containing (say) 10 or 12 per cent, of water, re-churn with
whole milk, thereby increasing the amount of water to anything up to 25 per cent., put the
" butter " up in an attractive form and resell at an advanced price. In spite of the expense for
milk, re-churning, &c., the "butter" can still be sold at a price below that of genuine butter of fair
quality, and considerable profits obtained.
The first proceedings against the vendors of this "butter" were taken by the Council of this
Borough. The case was dismissed because it was impossible to bring forward proof that any water
had been added to the butter, while it was admitted that water was not only natural to butter, but
might be present in excess owing to careless preparation. Shortly after this decision, similar cases
cropped up in different parts of the country, and ultimately the re-churning process was disclosed.
The "butter" is now sold with a wrapper bearing the following:—"This is choicest butter,
"blended with pure English full cream milk, whereby the percentage of water is increased to about
"twenty per cent.," and under the present law it has been decided that no conviction can be
obtained under Section 6 of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1875.
Food Preservatives.—The Committee appointed by the Local Government Board on 10th
July, 1899, to consider the question of the use of preservatives and colouring matters in foods,
reported at the beginning of 1901.
The reference to the Committee was that they were "to inquire into the use of preservatives
and colouring matters in the preservation and colouring of food and to report: —
"(1) Whether the use of such materials, or any of them, for the preservation and colouring of
food, in certain quantities, is injurious to health, and if so, in what proportion does their
use become injurious.
"(2) To what extent, and in what amounts, are they so used at the present time."

Evidence of the use of various colouring matters was put in, among them being:—
Sulphate of copper (preserved peas).
Annatto (milk, butter).
Coal tar dyes (e.g., Congo-red in sausages, &c.).
The recommendations of the Committe were:—
(a) That the use of formaldehyde or formalin, or preparations thereof, in food or drinks be absolutely
prohibited, and that salicylic acid be not used in a greater proportion than 1 grain per pint in liquid food and
1 grain per pound in solid food. Its presence in all cases to be declared.