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125
The main purpose of the Bill was to stop the sale of "milk-blended"
butter, as it was stated that many persons were deceived as to the true quality
of the article sold under that name. The Bill also fixed the limit of water
in Irish salt firkin butter at 20 per cent. until a date to be fixed by an Order
in Council.
The Bill was to have been construed as one with the Margarine Act, 1887,
and to be operative from the 1st January of this year. Two or three other
Bills on the same lines had been introduced by the Government in recent
years, but none of them reached the final stage, and this one shared the fate
of the others.
DRUGS.
In the course of the year, 52 drugs were sampled, of which 4, or 7.69 per
cent., were reported against. This figure is too high, especially as this class
of offence shows no signs of decreasing in the City, the figures for the three
preceding years being 7.2 per cent. in 1901, 6.3 per cent. in 1902, 7.69 per
cent. in 1903.
In England and Wales, drug adulteration appears to be steadily
diminishing, the percentage of adulteration for the years 1900, 1901 and
1902 being 15.4, 11.6 and 9.5 respectively.
Bearing in mind the purpose for which drugs are used, their adulteration is
particularly discreditable and dangerous practice.
Of the 89 other articles examined, 5 were adulterated, viz., 1 each of
mustard, cocoa, and margarine, and 2 of coffee.
FOOD PRESERVATIVES.
In July, 1899,* the Board of Agriculture appointed a Departmental
Committee to inquire into the use of preservatives and colouring matters in
the preservation and colouring of food. On the 16th January, 1901, the
Committee issued a Report recommending the following :—
"The addition of formaldehyde or formalin, or preparations thereof
"in foods and drinks to be prohibited, and salicylic acid only allowed in
" limited amount, and its presence declared.
"For milk, all preservatives and colouring matters to be prohibited, and
"their addition to be an offence under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
"In cream and butter the amount of preservative to be limited, and the
"amount present to be notified by label in the case of cream.
Vide p. 100, Medical Officer of Health's Annual Report, 1901.