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(66)
During the year the Minister of Food withdrew the Labelling of Food
Advisory Service which had been operating very successfully for some years.
Whilst this service had no legislative power it provided a most useful
liaison between food manufacturers and packers on the one hand and Local
Authorities on the other. Any manufacturer seeking advice was given the
benefit of the experience of the legal and chemical advisers of the Minister
and most manufacturers having been given this advice, accepted it loyally,
From the point of view of the public analyst the service was invaluable
because, whenever he was in doubt regarding the description or labelling
of any product he had only to contact the Ministry to know whether the
matter had received the approval of the Ministry and, if so, whether the
Ministry had been informed correctly of the composition of the food. With
the disappearance of this service every public analyst will be obliged to
express his own opinion regarding the labelling of a product and its composition
in regard to such label. In the event of the Local Authority
supporting the public analyst it will have to be decided whether the
matter is one which should be discussed amicably with the manufacturer,
or whether legal action should be taken. It is thus seen that the advice
and opinion of one central advisory service is being replaced by some
three hundred and fifty critics, who will not necessarily all be of the
same opinion. The increase in eventual cost will be enormous and cannot
but cause irritation to reputable manufacturers.