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44
Sausages.
One of five samples of sausages was found to contain boric acid, but the
amount was too small to justify any proceedings pending the regulations as to
preservatives coming into operation.
Swiss Roll.
One of the two samples of Swiss roll purchased was found to contain preservative,
but having regard to the arrangements made by the Ministry of Health with
the Bakers Allied Traders' Association, it was considered inadvisable to institute
legal proceedings. Letters were, however, sent to the retailers and the makers of the
roll drawing attention to the recognised objection to this preservative especially
in the case of sponge cakes and expressing the hope that its use in articles of
food made with sponge mixture would be discontinued.
Cockles.
In view of the important part played by shellfish in the spread of disease,
notably enteric fever, it is thought useful from time to time to examine samples
of this kind of food bacteriologically. During the past year a sample of cockles
was purchased from a stall in a condition ready to be eaten, and detailed and
thorough examinations of each of ten cockles were made; they were found to be
clean.
The following report of the examinations may be of interest:—
The cockles were washed in running water, then in sterile tap water and finally in sterile
distilled water.
Ten cockles were cut up with sterile scissors and made up to 100 cc. with sterile distilled
water— 10 cc.=1 cockle. Further dilutions were made up to 1/millionth part of a cockle
and used as follows:—
1. MacCovkeys' Bile Salt Lactose Broth for presumptive test of B. Coli. Readings after
two days' incubation at 37° C.
10 cc. into double strength Acid and gas present.
5 cc. „ „ „ Acid and gas present.
1 cc. ,, single ,, Nil.
.1 cc. to 00001 cc. (1/millionth part of cockle) Nil.
2. Glucose Formate Broth for Streptococci.—Readings microscopically after two days'
incubation showed streptococci present in 0001 cc. or 1/100,000 part of a cockle, but
absent in .00001 cc. or 1/millionth part of a cockle.
3. Litmus Milk for Presumptive B. Welchii.—Parte of the original dilution and varying
dilutions to 00001 cc. (l/millionth part of cockle) were heated to 80° C. for ten
minutes and inoculated into the Litmus Milk and cultured anærobically for three days.