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83
REPORT BY THE PUBLIC ANALYST
(Mr. THOMAS McLACHLAN, A.C.G.F.C., F.I.C.).
During the year under review the percentage of adulteration was
slightly higher than it has been for some years, 4.3 per cent. of the total samples
examined being adulterated as compared with 3.5 per cent. for the year 1933.
Only six samples of milk were found to be adulterated out of a total of
552, three of these being deficient in fat and three containing added water.
One sample of condensed machine-skimmed milk was reported as adulterated,
owing to the large number of moulds and bacteria present in the tin, which
made the milk unfit for consumption. In this case the retailer had asked for
the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health as to the quality of a delivery
and the sample was examined at his request.
Four samples of Chocolate Easter Eggs were condemned on account of
the presence of maize starch, two samples containing 10 per cent. and the
other two 20 per cent, of this ingredient. When communicated with, the
vendors claimed that the eggs were not labelled as chocolate, but such an
explanation is of little value, since chocolate eggs were demanded and there
is no doubt that this type of product is sold to an unsuspecting public in the
hope that it will be bought as chocolate. Whilst one has no wish to prevent
the sale of cheap and wholesome food products to those who are unable to
afford the best, there can be no two opinions as to the undesirability of selling
a substituted product to a public, which is unable to differentiate.
One sample of dripping contained 2.14 per cent. of free fatty acids,
which is considerably in excess of the desirable amount, and accordingly a
formal sample was taken, but this proved to be quite satisfactory. During
the War, an Order was made under the Defence of the Realm Acts, which
required dripping to contain less than 2.0 per cent. of free fatty acids, but
this has been withdrawn and there is now no statutory limit to the amount
of acid which may be present. The free fatty acids should be less than 0.5 per
cent., but it is doubtful whether it is necessary to afford any particular protection
to the public in this direction, since the palate is as sensitive as most
chemical tests and vendors will, of necessity, have to meet the wishes of their
customers.
One sample of mincemeat submitted for examination was flavourless
and unsatisfactory, being probably kept from a previous year, but no exception
could be taken to it from the Public Health aspect.
Four samples of tomato puree were received for examination and were
reported as adulterated on account of the presence of copper. Two samples
contained 12 parts of copper per million, whilst the other two contained
20 parts of copper, and 87 and 345 parts, respectively, of tin. These purees
were all of continental origin and I am unaware of any British tomato puree
which has been condemned of recent years on account of the presence of
metallic contamination.
One sample of beer, submitted informally, was contaminated with Lysol
or Sanitary Fluid, but a formal sample, obtained from the same source, was
entirely satisfactory. It is a common custom to obtain loose " carbolic " or
sanitary fluids in wine bottles, and one would imagine that the complainant
had previously employed the bottle for this purpose.