London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hammersmith 1905
Sixth annual report year ended 31st March 1906
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173
BUTTER.
During the year 159 samples were examined and of these
101 were found to be genuine, 19 genuine but of inferior
quality, and 39 adulterated.
The percentage of adulterated samples was therefore
24.5 and of inferior samples 12.
Most of the adulterated butters contained Fat other than Butter Fat, the percentage being as follows:—
| 80 to 90 per cent. | 6 samples |
| 70 to 80 „ ,, | 17,, |
| 50 to 60 ,, „ | 9 ,, |
| 43 ,, ,, | 1 ,, |
| 7.5 ,, ,, | 1 ,, |
Three samples of Margarine were purchased under
the Acts, and of these one contained the maximum of 16
per cent. of water, whilst in another as much as 17.8 per
cent., i.e., an excess of 1.8 per cent was present.
COFFEE AND COCOA.
Twenty samples in all were examined, and a specimen
of Coffee was reported as containing 70 per cent. of
Chicory.
PRESERVED PEAS.
Six samples were examined and three of these were
found to contain small quantities of Sulphate of Copper
added to maintain a green tint. The amounts present were,
however, very small, and in no case exceeded the equivalent
of 2 grains of crystalised Sulphate of Copper to the pound.
RICE.
Several samples of Rice have been submitted to me
under the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts
this year, and the relatively high proportion of mineral
matter in some cases, together with the fact that a substantial
amount of this was insoluble in hydrochloric acid,
plainly indicated that some inorganic substance foreign to
rice was present.
In order to ascertain the nature of this addition, many
samples of known origin were purchased and analysed, the
mineral matter being specially examined qualitatively and
quantitatively. The following table shews the results
obtained:—