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Table XIV.—Prosecutions in connection with Samples taken during 1910—continued.
No.
Sample.
Adulteration or Infringement.
Result.
245S
Milk
Added water 4·86 per cent.
Dismissed. Warranty proved
251S
Butter
Margarine 100 per cent.
Fine 20/-; costs 17/-
Withdrawn
Wrapper not marked
283S
Milk
Added water 7 per cent.
Fine 20/-; costs 17/-
Fourth Quarter.
349H
Cocoa
Contained 15 per cent. of added
shell
Fine 20/-; costs 15/-
Milk
355H
Deficient in milk fat 7.3 per cent.
Fine £5; costs 24/- Warranty unsuccessful
359H
Cocoa
Contained 16 per cent, of added
shell
Dismissed. Warranty proved
382H
Milk
Added water 7.1 per cent.
Added water 2.8 per cent. and
deficient in milk fat 4.7 per
cent.
Fine £12; costs £2 2/-
389H
Milk
Dismissed. Warranty proved
373S
Butter
Margarine 100 per cent.
Fine £3; costs 17/-
Withdrawn
Wrapper not marked
413H
Butter, Fresh
Margarine 100 per cent.
Fine 40/-; costs 17/-
Withdrawn
Wrapper not marked
Fine £5; costs 17/-
Withdrawn
414S
Butter
Margarine 100 per cent
Wrapper not marked
SUMMARY.
£ s. d.
Fines ... ... ... ... 70 8 0
Costs ... ... ... ... 28 15 6
Total ... £99 3 6
The following report was made to the Public Health Committee on March 8th, 1910, and a
circular letter addressed to the traders in the Borough as recommended:—
"Faced" Rice.
I received two samples of rice known in the trade as Patna and Bassein respectively,
imported from abroad, with the request that I should express an opinion as to whether
the fact of the rice being polished by means of talc was "according to the rules of the
Food and Drugs Act." I had them analysed as informal samples and found that the
Patna rice contained 1·22 per cent, and the Bassein 1·4 per cent, of foreign extraneous
mineral matter in the form of talc.
It seems there is a demand on the part of the public for a highly polished rice, the
consequence being that the appearance of the more expensive class of rice is being
improved by subjecting them to the polishing process by means of talc. This has been
going on to such an extent that the Local Government Board made a special investigation
into the matter, and the report of their inspector, Dr. Hamill, was issued two or
three months ago. In this the writer comes to the conclusion that "an outside limit of
not more than 0·5 per cent. of mineral matter would seem amply to meet the requirements
of the traders who represent this practice as necessary," and incidentally suggests
that prosecutions be instituted where this amount is exceeded.
To my mind it seems an objectionable and unnecessary practice, especially as it
only affects the article in the raw state, for when cooked the rice, whether polished or
not, appears the same.
The following reply was sent to the sender of the samples:—
February 11th,1910.
Gentlemen, — Polished Pices— In reply to your letter of the 4th instant,
accompanying two samples of rice cleaned and dressed abroad (viz., Patna and Bassein),
I beg to say that there is no definition of rice under the Sale of Pood and Drugs Acts,
and that any action that might be taken would be ordinarily under Section 6 of the
Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1875, where it would be proved that the rice is not of the
nature and substance of the article demanded by the purchaser.
Since this is so one cannot speak of any quantity of talc being allowed, and the
seller must therefore take the risk of being prosecuted in case the rice is found mixed
with this mineral.
Personally on general principles I do not approve of the adulteration with talc, but
I am given to understand that the polishing of the rice in this manner facilitates its
sale, and provided there is only a trace left in the article at the outside, 0·5 per cent., I
would not be prepared on my present knowledge to recommend prosecution.
I have had both these samples analysed, and I find that the Bassein contains 1·04
per cent. and the Patna 1·22 per cent. talc, both of which you see are much above the