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the Labelling of Food Order. The manufacturers later agreed that this
particular sample was below standard due to the use of a coffee extract
flaw our containing chicory. They also agreed to amend their label.
A product called Festive Icing was reported as satisfactory, but as it
was flavoured it was considered that it might be wise to state the flavour
on the container since not everybody might wish to use icing of one particular
flavour.
A sample purchased as "Devil Nuts" by a child who ate four and became
acutely ill with diarrhoea was examined. They appeared to be ordinary
hazel nuts dipped in a tincture of capsicum or similar tincture, and there
could be no reason why they should make a child ill.
A produce described as Cumberland Rum and Butter Spread contained only
26.4 per cent, of total fat, including 4.2 Per cent, of butter, and 0.7 per
cent, of rum. As most of the edible fat was not butter and the percentage
of rum was exceedingly small it was incorrect to describe it as Rum and Butter
Spread. After some correspondence with the manufacturers they stated that it
was their intention to discontinue making a "Rum and Butter Spread" or
"Cumberland Spread - Rum Flavour", and that in future only the genuine
article would be manufactured.
The label of a sample of Garlic Tablets bore two different declarations
of composition, thus contravening the Pharmacy aid Medicines Act. This matter
had previously been taken up by the Pharmaceutical Society and the manufacturers
had already agreed to amend their label. Their present stock was almost
exhausted and they hoped to have the new labels in a few days.
Some Energy Tablets contained only 8.0 mgrms. of vitamin C per tablet,
instead of 12.5 mgrms. claimed on the label. They were, therefore, 36 per
cent, deficient in ascorbic acid, but the deficiency might have been due to
deterioration during storage. The manufacturers agreed to affix a stick-on
label with the warning that the tablets should be sold within four months to
ensure that the Vitamin C content would have maintained its full standard0.
Food and Drug Legislation during 1955,
There has been little actual increase in the amount of food and drug
legislation during the year, though much has been introduced, including the
Pood and Drugs Act, 1955, and the Hygiene Regulations, 1955. The Food and
Drugs Act is a Consolidation Act which came into operation in 1956, and it will
not be discussed in this report, since the principal implications were mentioned
in last year's report. Similarly the Hygiene Regulations only cams into force
1956 and it remains to be seen how some of its articles are to be interpreted
from the public analyst's standpoint. The Food Standards (Butter and Margarine)
Regulations, 1955, the Labelling of Food (Amendment) Order, 1955, also came into
force in 1956.
The Food Standards Committee issued a Supplementary Report on Colouring
Matters in Foods. This list proposes the inclusion of titanium oxide and
ultramarine as permitted dyes and also the deletion of one "coal-tar" dye,
Baking Brown Aif, and the addition of Block EI to the List previously-proposed.
The earlier Report proposed that the addition of added colours to foods should
he declared to the purchaser, bait this Supplementary Report recognises that there
are cases where this would be inadvisable. It is suggested that the presence of
added colour to fish should fee declared, but that it should not be declared in