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named in Class II. are:—1. Boric acid (boracic acid) or borax—limit,
1 part in 400 in cream, 1 part in 200 in butter and other foods: 2. Benzoic
acid (benzoate of soda)—limit, 1 part in 1000 parts; 3. Salicylic acid
—limit, 1 part in 5000 parts; 4. Sulphurous acid (bisulphite of soda,
potash or lime)—limit, 1 part in 10,000 parts in beverages, 1 part in
2000 parts in solid foods; 5. Saccharin—limit, 1 part in 1500 parts in
beverages, 1 part in 700 parts in solid foods. Saccharin must not be
used to take the place of sugar in any food in which sugar is employed
as a source of nutriment, or for its feeding value. Where sugar is used
only as a sweetener, saccharin may replace it under the conditions
defined above. Class III. consists of preservative substances which
are prohibited from use in foods: Formaldehyde (formalin), Betanaphtholabrastol
(asaprol), hydrofluoric acid, fluorides, fluoborates,
fluo-silicates or other fluorine compounds. The method of dealing
with the preservatives named in Class II. is distinctly interesting,
and it will be noted that "on satisfactory evidence of the harmfulness
to health" any of the preservatives named "would immediately fall
under the condemnation of the Adulteration Act."
water in dripping.
In a recent Local Government Board report on the working of the
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, there were quite a number of specimens
of dripping. In March last my attention was directed to a case in
which proceedings were instituted against a vendor who sold dripping
certified by the Public Analyst to contain over 15 per cent. of water.
As it presents some interesting features the case is one worthy of notice.
The contention of the prosecution and of the Public Analyst on their
behalf, was that there should be no water in dripping, but that it should
be the fat as it came from the cooked meat. The defendant's point
was that it was practically impossible to avoid having water present.
If the dripping came from roasting meat, water was usually placed in
the pan to prevent burning and was taken up along with the fat: when
obtained from meat that had been boiled, there was still greater risk of
getting water as well as fat. In any case the water appeared in the
jelly adhering to the dripping and the public liked it. On this, the
prosecution stated that there was no necessity to have water at all,
and it was very objectionable, inasmuch as dripping containing water
went mouldy very quickly. The Bench in imposing a penalty of £1,
including costs, gave it as their view that the term dripping has no
special trade meaning attached to it. It means what the dictionaries
say it means, viz.," that which falls in drops, as fat, from meat in