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158
The Regulation of Preservatives in Food.
It is pleasing to note that the Local Government Board is at last
moving in the matter of the use of preservatives in food, but it has so
far confined the resulting legislation to the purity of two articles of
food only, namely, milk and cream.
In view of this movement on the part of the Local Government
Board, it is interesting to note the following regulations in force in the
Dominion of Canada governing the employment of preservatives in
food intended for human consumption, and it is to be hoped that similar
regulations may be adopted in this country.
CANADIAN REGULATIONS.
Foods intended for export may contain preservatives, provided that,
both in specific character and in amount, such preservatives do not conflict
with regulations in force in the country to which export is made.
It is forbidden to add any preservative whatever to milk, or any other
preservatives than those named in Class I. to foods especially intended
for the use of infants or invalids. Class I. consists of preservatives
which may be used without declaration of their presence, provided that
such use does not conflict with any other statutory regulations, namely,
common salt, sugar, saltpetre, wood smoke, vinegar, acetic acid, spices,
alcohol. In Class II. are preservatives which may be used until further
notice, provided that no more than one kind of preservative substance,
named in the list, shall be added to any one kind of food, or to any
mixture of two or more kinds of foods; that the amount of preservative
shall not exceed the maximum amount herein named, and that the
presence of the preservative shall be declared on the label. Regarding
this class of preservatives, it is to be noted that toleration of their use
is dependent upon the fact that available evidence concerning their
physiological action is not considered sufficient to prove that under the
prescribed regulations they are harmful to health in such a degree as to
bring them under Section 3 (f) of the Adulteration Act, which reads as
follows:—"Food shall be deemed to be adulterated within the meaning
of this Act if it contains any added poisonous ingredient, or any ingredient
which may render such an article injurious to the health of the
persons or cattle consuming it." Should satisfactory evidence of the
harmfulness to health of any of the preservatives named in Class II.
be forthcoming, such preservatives would immediately fall under the
condemnation of the Adulteration Act, and foods containing such
preservatives would be declared to be adulterated. The preservatives