London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1914
Annual report for 1914 of the Medical Officer of Health
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32
THE SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS.
During the year 1914, 400 samples were taken for the ordinary purposes
under the Acts, and 12 samples of cream were taken under the Milk and
Cream Regulations.
Milk.—Of the 400 samples, 170 were milk, 160 being returned by the
Public Analyst as geniune samples, and 10 as adulterated, equivalent to
6 per cent. of the total samples, as compared with 5.5 per cent. in 1913. Of
the 10 adulterated samples proceedings were only taken in one case, in which
14.7 per cent. of the original fat had been abstracted, the vendor being fined
10s. and 10s. 6d. costs. In 3 cases the amounts of adulteration (fat
abstracted, 3 per cent.; added water, 2.6 per cent.; added water, 3.7 per
cent.), were insufficient to warrant legal proceedings. In 6 cases the vendors
were protected by warranties from the wholesale dealers, and no proceedings
were taken. In these 6 cases the amounts of adulteration were as follows :
added water, 3.7 per cent., 5.1 per cent., 5.2 per cent., 8.3 per cent., and
12.3 per cent.; fat abstracted, 13 per cent.
Butter.—Of butter 175 samples were taken, 171 being returned as
genuine, and 4 as adulterated. No proceedings were taken in any of these
cases, in 3 there being only excesses of water (0.8 per cent., 3 per cent., and
4.4 per cent.), and in one case 56.5 per cent. of foreign fat. This sample
was not taken under the Acts. A later sample taken from the same vendor
under the Acts proved to be genuine.
All the samples of butter were examined for preservatives.
| Preservatives in Butter. | No. of Samples. | Per cent. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boric acid less than 04 per cent. | 38 | 22 | ||
| ,, from 0.1 to 0.2 per cent. | 39 | 22 | ||
| ,, from 0.2 to 0.3 „ | 50 | 28 | ||
| „ from 0.3 to 0.4 „ | 43 | 25 | ||
| „ from 0.4 to 0.5 „ | 5 | 3 | ||
| 175 | 100 | |||
The Departmental Committee of the Local Government Board recommended
that butter should not contain more than 0.5 per cent. of boric acid.
All the butters examined were, therefore, within this limit.
Margarine.—Of margarine 18 samples were taken, all being returned
as geniune. Of these 18 samples, 15, or 83 per cent., contained less than
0.1 per cent. of boric acid: one sample contained from 0.1 to 0.2 per cent.,
and two samples from 0.2 to 0.3 per cent.
Of Coffee, 9 samples were taken, all being genuine; of Mustard, 9
samples, all genuine; and of Pepper, 9 samples, 7 being genuine, and 2 of
inferior quality.