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40
Meat and Fish Preparations. —One sample of beef loaf,
twelve of meat and fish pastes, one of oxtail soup, two of
prawns, five of sausages and three of meat pies were examined.
Of these, nine were found to contain boron preservative, the
amounts found ranging from 2.1 grains to 9.1 grains per pound,
the results being expressed in terms of crystallised boric acid.
Preserved Vegetables. —Of the twelve samples of preserved
vegetables examined only two were found to be genuine. A
preparation of copper was detected in all the others, the amounts
found ranging from half a grain to 2.3 grains per pound, the
results being expressed in terms of crystallised sulphate of
copper.
Olive Oil. —Of thirteen specimens of olive oil, one was
found to contain forty per cent, of oil other than olive oil,
having the characters of arachis oil —a cheaper oil extracted
from the earth nut.
Sponge Cakes. —One of the two samples of sponge cakes
submitted was found to contain boron preservative. The
amount was 12.6 grains per pound, the result being expressed
in terms of crystallised boric acid. The presence of this
substance was probably due to the use of eggs containing
boric acid.
Tomato Soup. —A specimen of tinned tomato soup was
found to be contaminated with two grains of tin per pound,
derived from the container, and was therefore reported as
adulterated.
Drugs. —The total number of drugs analysed during the
year was thirty-three and only one of these was adulterated.
The latter was a specimen of borax which was found to contain
twenty-five parts of arsenious oxide per million. This is
exactly five times the British Pharmacopoeia limit.