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31
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
In the Annual Report for last year a reference was made to the desirability of a
communication being addressed to the Ministry of Health urging, in the interests alike
of manufacturers, retailers, consumers and local authorities, that steps should be taken
without delay to appoint a Departmental Committee to enquire into the use of
preservatives and colouring matter in food, and that recommendations of such
Committee should be given effect to by law.
A communication on these lines was forwarded by the Holborn Council to the
Minister of Health, and a copy of my report on the subject was sent to the Medical
Officers of Health of the large towns of England and Wales; a number of municipal
authorities in such towns, as well as several metropolitan authorities, made similar
representations to the Ministry.
The subsequent appointment of a Departmental Committee to consider the question
of preservatives aud colouring matters in food, was noted with general satisfaction.
The report of this Committee is anticipated with interest; in the meantime it will be
seen that steps continue to be taken to deal with the matter as adequately as existing
legislation allows. Experience of the last year continued to sh >w the difficulties which
face local authorities in their efforts to secure pure food free from preservatives and
colouring matter; when ca-es arc taken to court in the absence of any definite ruling
in the matter, some magistrates are loath to convict even when they express an opinion
that the presence of such colouring matter is undesirable.
The table on page 37 shows that the analyses under the Sale of Food and Drugs
Acts during the year covered a wide range of articles. Of the 601 samples examined 52,
or 8'6 per cent. were reported to be "not genuine," in comparison with 7.0 per cent. in
the preceding year.
The following observations refer to those samples reported to be "not genuine"
Beans, tinned.
Of six samples examined five were found to contain colouring matter, namely
copper sulphate ; in four of these disclosure of the presence of colouring matter, and
its amount (which was small) was made on the label; in the fifth the vendor was
communicated with, and gave an undertaking to disclose the presence of copper in
future sales. The prosecutions recorded on page 96 refer to purchases made in 1922.
Butter.
Four samples of butter were found to contain an excess of water. In two cases
where proceedings were instituted warranties were submitted and the summonses
withdrawn; one of these samples was an imported butter and information was sent to
the Medical Officer of Health of the port of entry. In the other two cases warning
letters were sent to the vendors.