View report page

130
OTHER SAMPLES.
The remaining samples, which were all genuine, comprised 4 of cocoa, 2 of
olive oil, 1 of cheese, 6 of pepper, 1 of wine, 2 of preserving fluid, 1 of meat,
3 of rice, 3 of Demerara sugar, and 1 of an article described as "Cydro."
With regard to the latter article it appears that for some time past the
Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been endeavouring to prevent the
application of the description "Cider" to any liquid not wholly derived
from the apple. It was brought to my notice by the Board that a firm in
the City were selling as "Cyder, non-alcoholic," a beverage that had been
reported on by the Government Analyst as under:—
"The sample received on the 8th November, 1909, is a mixture of
"genuine cider and a solution of cane sugar, to which a small quantity
"of phosphoric acid has been added."
A sample of this so-called "cyder" was therefore procured by one of your
officers and submitted to the Public Analyst, who found on analysis it
contained 2.6 per cent. of proof spirit and 2.09 grammes per 100 c.c. of cane
sugar.
The firm were notified that they were selling and describing as "nonalcoholic
cyder" a liquid which was not only not "non-alcoholic," but, moreover,
was not cider, and their position under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts
therefore pointed out to them.
Upon the firm explaining that the error was due to their not having the
name altered on their menu, and giving an undertaking to have the article
correctly described on each label and on the show-cards exhibited in all their
establishments, I recommended that no further action need be taken in the
matter.
REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON WHISKY
AND OTHER POTABLE SPIRITS.
WHISKY.
This Commission was appointed under the following circumstances:—
In November, 1905, two summonses were heard at the North London
Police Court, charging contravention of Section 6 of the Sale of Food and
Drugs Act, 1875 (selling to the prejudice of the purchaser any article of food
or any drug which is not of the nature, substance and quality of the article
demanded by the purchaser).
In each case the Public Analyst had certified that the sample (whisky)
"consisted entirely of patent-still, silent or neutral spirit."