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The Public Analyst in his report drew attention to the great
difficulty in detecting, by chemical analysis, such admixture, when
skilfully carried out, from genuine milk.
Activities of this character obviously need to be supervised
as a safeguard against the possibility of reconstituted milk being
unlawfully sold as fresh milk, and it is suggested that this might
be effected if Local Authorities possessed powers to regulate the
manufacture and sale of products of this description, by requiring
the registration of premises used for this purpose and of all persons
carrying on the business of a "milk" manufacturer, with the right
of inspection of the firm's records and trading accounts.
Milk. During the year under review, 573 formal samples of
milk were submitted for examination. Of this number, 9 were
reported as being adulterated, giving a percentage of adulteration
of 1.57.
The adulteration of six of these samples was due to the
abstraction of fat. In no instance during the year under review was
the deficiency of fat found to be due to the failure of the vendor to
thoroughly mix the milk before serving a customer when the sale
took place from a pint or a quart bottle from which a previous
customer had been served.
In the other three cases, the adulteration was due to the
presence of added water, one of these being adulterated to the
extent of 58 per cent.
Of 32 informal samples of milk, 6 were adulterated, all by the
addition of extraneous water. These six samples were divided
between two vendors, two of which, adulterated to the extent of
15 and 19 per cent, respectively, being obtained from one vendor,
and four other samples to the extent of 2, 2, 2 and 4 per cent,
respectively were obtained from another vendor.
In connection with the former instance, a formal sample,
No. 217, was taken, found to be adulterated with 16 per cent, of
added water, and a conviction obtained (see Table "B").
In the other instance, the adulteration though slight occurred
at irregular intervals, the intervening samples examined being
reported as genuine. By the small percentage of added water, and
the irregular intervals of such addition, it would appear to indicate
that this vendor was applying some skilful method of adulteration
with a minimum risk of detection. These premises are still under
observation.
Milk Sampling in transit or delivery from Wholesalers. Sections
Nos. 21 and 29, and the second schedule thereto.
Sections Nos. 21 and 29, and the second schedule thereto.
Under the above Act and Schedule a purveyor of milk, from
whom a retail sample of milk has been taken for analysis, may,
within sixty hours of such sample being taken, require the Local