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122
Further, in any regulations for dealing with this question made under
the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, provision should be made,
as obtains in the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, for the due protection of the
vendor, viz., for division of the sample, and for the proper qualification of
the analyst employed.
In order to determine the extent to which preservatives were used in
preparing cream for retail in the City, and also to ascertain the quality of the
article as usually sold, twelve samples were purchased from various shops and
submitted to your Public Analyst for examination. The results found are
given on page 123.
It. will be seen that, with the exception of the samples obtained from the
Express Dairy Company and Welford and Sons (Samples 955 and 963
respectively), all the samples contained boracic acid preservatives, but that in
three cases only was the amount found in excess of the limit recommended in
the Departmental Committee's Report.
The percentage of fat was also determined in each instance, the amount
varying from 32.4 to 62.1 per cent., the average being 49.5 per cent. It is
upon the amount of fat contained in cream that the richness or strength of
the article depends. The amount of fat present in these samples is practically
the same as that found in samples reported upon by Dr. Hamill, who gives
50 per cent. as the usual amount; but the greatest amount found in the City,
viz., 62.l per cent., is 3.1 per cent. in excess of the largest amount present in
Dr. Hamill's samples, viz., 59 per cent.
A minimum limit of 40 per cent. of fat has been fixed by the British
Farmers' Association for cream exhibited at the Dairy Show.
In five of the ten samples containing boric acid, its presence was notified
by label on the vessel containing the cream.
Four of the samples were sold "loose"; six were contained in earthenware
jars or pots; and two were in paper receptacles impregnated with
paraffin wax—a method which has been recently introduced.
Six of the twelve samples were described on labels as "Preserved Cream,"
although in each instance "Cream '' only had been asked for.
Since the decision of Cullen v. McNair, some dealers have intimated on
the label that boracised cream is not suitable for infants and invalids. Five of
the samples were so labelled.
The results given in the table are confirmatory of those found by Dr. Hamill,
and point to the same conclusion, viz., that while some firms can and
do supply cream that is free from preservatives, most of that sold is boracised,
some to an excessive extent: for instance, one sample, No. 960, contained
0.62 per cent. boric acid, equivalent to no less than 43.4 grains to the pound.
The dose of boric acid as given in the British Pharmacopoeia is from five to