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possible legislation of other countries of similar development,. Your
analyst will be the opening speaker next September at an International
Symposium called to explore the matter of food regulations„ In the
meantime one can only consider legislation as it affects this country
and agree that the Committee have made a brave attempt to cope with the
position as it is. It is unfortunate that many substances, such as
salt, glycerin, propylene glycol, acetic acid, and others .should not be
defined as preservatives, when they are the most efficient and commonest
preservatives in use. When advising the Government on legislation the
Committee have also to consider the possibility of its implementation and
one can only state that many experts are in grave doubt about the
implementation of food legislation now and in the future. It is suggested
that -sulphur dioxide and benzoic acid shall continue as permitted preservatives
for certain foods and it is interesting to note that it is suggested that
sulphur dioxide shall be recognised as a preservative in unfermented grape
juice to be used for sacramental purposes, provided that not more than 70
parts per million are employed, while ordinary fruit juices to be used for
other purposes may contain up to 350 parts per million. As an alternative
2,000 partsper million of benzoic acid, or methyl- or propyl-p.
hydroxybenzoate may be employed. The existing regulations have caused
immense difficulties owing to an uncertainty, which was never intended.
Methyl- or propyl-p.hydroxybenzoate will be permitted also in liquid coffee
or tea extracts, drinking chocolate concentrate, pickles and sauces, tomato
pulp, or liquid rennet. Here it is noted that liquid tea extract is given
official notice for the first time in proposed British legislation and that
permission will be given to use a preservative in a drinking chocolate
concentrate, but there is no mention of chocolate syrups used on a very
large scale for pouring over ice-creams, puddings, etc. By definition
these last are not flavouring syrups because they are not to be diluted
with milk or water to make a drink with a distinctive flavour nor can they
be described as flavouring emulsions. It is proposed that bread shall
be permitted to contain up to 3,ooo parts per million, i.e. 0.3 per cent
of propionic acid and that flour confectionery shall be permitted 1,000
parts per million of either propionic acid or sorbic acid. Sorbic acid
and nisin are to be permitted in cheese and nisin is also to be permitted
in canned foods. Benzoic acid or sorbic acid are to be permitted in
solutions of permitted food colours or in silicone anti-foam emulsions.
It will be difficult for an analyst to say whether a trace of sorbic
acid in a food has been introduced by reason of the inclusion of a small
amount of a silicone anti-foaming agent. Sodium nitrate and nitrite
are accepted as preservatives in cured meats and in Gouda and Edam type
cheese. Orthophenylphenol may be employed as a preservative on apples,
pears, pineapples, peaches, melons, and citrus fruit, but no such permission
is extended to apricots, or to fruit such as Avocardo pears, which belong
to the laurel family and are quite distinct from ordinary pears. Citrus
fruits may also contain diphenyl. The food pattern of civilised countries
is changing so rapidly at the present time that one wonders for how long
such legislation can be effective. In support of the earlier note on the
necessity for international collaboration in food legislation it may be
mentioned that during the year the World Health Organisation issued a press
report to the effect that boric acid may be added for all countries
except Germany and the United States. Great Britain has forbidden its use
since 1925. At the same time it may be mentioned that F.A.O. is now bringing
out a series of monographs dealing with the legal position of food additives
in various countries, each monograph being written by an acknowledged expert
of the country concerned. The monograph on food additives in Great Britain