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way to be specified by the Ministry of Health. Somewhat similar
recommendations were made in regard to colouring matters used in
food, these being mainly metallic and coal tar colouring matters.
Draft regulations were then issued embodying the recommendations
above, and after discussion and criticism by those most concerned, the
draft regulations, with a few minor alterations, and with a period of
grace for certain foods, came into force as legal regulations on
January 1st, 1927. Since that day the addition of preservatives has
been illegal except in the case of the foods specified. These latter may
contain limited amounts of sulphite or benzoate, provided they bear a
label to that effect; and it can hardly be exaggerating to say that an
enormous advance in public health has been made through the
elimination of chemicals from common foods.
How do these new preservative regulations affect the housewife,
beyond enabling her to provide husband and children with chemicalfree
foods? Principally, they affect her only in requiring that a more
scrupulous degree of cleanliness shall be maintained in the storage of
food before it is consumed and also that it shall be kept as cool as
possible. Cleanliness and coolness are the two principal helps towards
keeping food sweet, and even such a readily perishable food as milk
may be kept sweet for several days in a cool larder or pantry, provided
it is clean to start with and is kept in a covered receptacle.
Let your larder be well ventilated, thoroughly clean, and free from
dust, dirt and cobwebs. See that it is not visited by mice, beetles,
spiders, cockroaches, slugs or flies; and in order to make assurance
doubly sure, never leave food lying about uncovered upon the shelves.
When purchasing foods give preference to that which is wrapped in
some form of transparent or waxed paper. Keep all liquids in covered
receptacles. Always buy bottled milk, and use the bottle as a milk jug,
covering it with an inverted glass or cup, when not in use. Better
still, wrap the bottle round with a cloth kept wet by standing in a basin
or a dish of cold water.
To keep food cool is not always so easy as it is to keep it clean.
Electrical and other mechanical refrigerators are the best means of
achieving this object, but they are unfortunately too expensive for
every home. There are, however, many cheaper safes which tend to
maintain themselves slightly cooler than the ordinary wooden safe.
K