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Presumably, it obtains access during the process of manufacture.
Lead is a cumulative poison and is, on this account, the more
dangerous; moreover, the signs and symptons of lead poisoning
are well known and there is little difficulty in convincing owners
and others that its presence in foodstuffs, even in small quantities,
is extremely undesirable. Most of the samples in which lead has
been found this year have been samples of sardines or sild in tins,
where it has been suggested that the lead has gained admittance
through the solder used for sealing the tins. In some instances,
there has been double contamination by both lead and tin. Lead
has also been found in several colouring powders used for different
purposes.
In the summary of samples forming part of this report, the
words "No Action " are frequently to be found in the last column.
This phrase simply refers to the actual parcel from which the
sample was drawn and must not be taken to mean that the contamination
thus discovered was ignored. The attention of every
importer has immediately been drawn to contamination whereve
it has been discovered and, in many instances, there has been
communication between this department and the foreign
manufacturer.
Most of the cases of contamination by copper have occurred in
connection with tomatoes and cherries. Importers have advanced
one or all of four different arguments to explain or excuse the
presence of copper in their products. Inevitably the first excuse
is that copper is not harmful and we are asked to advance proofs
that it is so. In my opinion, it is both harmful and unnecessary,
and, therefore, to be excluded or reduced to the minimum possible
quantity in all foodstuffs. Secondly, copper is frequently stated
to be present in the natural product, growing tomatoes for instance,
before these have been subjected to any process whatsoever. This
may be true, but the amount of copper so present is extremely small.
A third argument is that spraying solutions and dusting powders
containing copper are used by the fruit growers to prevent the
growth of parasites on the plants or trees, and that copper so
deposited on the flowers or immature fruit may become incor-