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take this point into consideration before instituting legal proceedings on the presumption
of adulteration, where the deficiency of milk solids other than milk fat is slight, and the
skimmed milk contains a considerable proportion of milk fat.
For the information of your Worshipful Committee, the new regulations are here
reproduced:—
The Sale of Milk Regulations, 1912. Dated June 29th, 1912.
The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, in exercise of the powers conferred
on them by section 4 of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, do hereby make
the following Regulations:—
Skimmed or Separated Milk.
1. Where a sample of skimmed or separated milk (not being condensed
milk) contains less than 8.7 per cent, of milk solids other than milk fat, it shall be
presumed for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1907,
until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine, by reason of either the
addition thereto of water, or the abstraction therefrom of milk-solids other than
milk fat.
Revocation of Existing Regulation.
2. Regulation 3 of the Sale of Milk Regulations, 1901, is hereby revoked
but not so as to affect the validity of any certificate of analysis given before the
commencement of these Regulations, or any legal proceedings in respect of any
sample to which any such certificate relates.
Commencement.
3. These Regulations shall come into operation on the First day of
September, One thousand nine hundred and twelve.
Extent.
4. These Regulations shall extend to England and Wales.
Short Title.
5. These Regulations may be cited as the Sale of Milk Regulations, 1912.
In witness whereof the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have
hereunto set their Official Seal this twenty-ninth day of June, One
thousand nine hundred and twelve.
(l.s) T. H. Elliott,
Secretary.
It will be seen that these Regulations do not absolutely fix a standard of genuineness,
but merely transfer the burden of proof from the prosecution to the defence.
So far as the City is concerned, the revised Regulations are of little or no moment,
as from inquiries I have made at the premises where milk is sold, and also at the
Bakehouses, Kitchens, and places where food is prepared, I am unable to find that in
any of these is skimmed or separated milk used.
Enquiries will, however, be periodically instituted, and should these lead to the
discovery of the use or sale of skimmed or separated milk, the matter can then be dealt
with in accordance with the provisions of the new Order.