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PRESERVATIVES IN FOOD.
In the annual report for last year it was pointed out that so long ago as
1899 a very strong Departmental Committee was appointed to inquire into
the use of preservatives and other colouring matters in food and that they
unanimously reported, after examining 78 witnesses, which included Medical
men, Public analysts, representatives of Agriculture, of the Grocers' Federation,
of the Butter Association, of the Provisions Traders, of Chambers of
Commerce, of Dairy Companies, and of Margarine Companies, that means be
provided either by the establishment of a separate court of reference or by the
imposition of more direct obligation on the Local Government Board to
exercise supervision over the use of preservatives and colouring matters in
foods, and to prepare schedules of such as may be considered inimical to
the public health.
Nothing, however, has been done since by the Local Government Board,
although recently their President has announced that the use of preservatives
in food is receiving attention.
It is high time that something was achieved, because their use is
increasing rapidly, and their number is multiplying.
The following is a list of the principal preservatives at present in use:—
alum, alcohol, ammonium acetate, boric acid and its compounds, carbon
dioxide, copper salts, creasote, fluorine compounds, formic acid, formaldehyde,
hydrogen peroxide, oxygen, pyroligneous acid, saccharin, salicylic acid, salt,
saltpetre, sodium carbonate, sugar, sulphites of sodium and calcium, and
sulphuric acid.
It is a formidable list, many of the articles in which are sold under fancy
names to the people who use them for preserving their food stuffs. Amongst
the articles in which they are used may be mentioned bacon, beer, bottled
fruit, British wine, butter, black puddings, white puddings, cheese, cordials,
cream, fish, fresh meat, game, ham, ketchup, lime juice, margarine, milk, pork
pies, sauces, sausages, temperance drinks, vegetables, vinegar and wine, and
almost every article of food that can be named. Of course the object of their
use is either to retard decomposition or to enable food prepared under unsatisfactory
conditions, and which otherwise would speedily go bad, to be sold. In