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55
A loaf contained numerous small pieces of dirt which were probably pieces of carbonized
bread from the forming bench. Another loaf contained a red coloured substance,
which might have been due to tomato puree, but it could not be definitely identified.
Two samples submitted as rolls and butter were found to be spread with margarine instead
of butter.
A Swiss Bun contained some vegetable fibres which were probably hessian fibres from
a sack. A complaint was made that a Gateau possessed an unpleasant flavour. It was
decorated with pink icing which contained rancid palm kernel oil, causing the unpleasant
taste. The fat extracted was insufficient to carry out a satisfactory chemical analysis,
but the free fatty acids were over 1 per cent. A sample of Chocolate Iced Layer Cake
received as a complaint was stale on arrival at the laboratory. The fat was very rancid
and mould hyphae were present in the flour portion of the cake. It was unfit for
consumption.
The description "Milk Chocolate Macaroons" for some sugar confectionery the basis of
which was really coconut, was considered incorrect. The word "macaroon" without
qualification means an almond preparation, essentially a toasted almond preparation.
Other sugar confectionery described as "Chocolate Eclairs" had an unpleasant flavour due
to the quality of the mineral oil used in order to grease the moulds. A sample of Egg
and Milk Toffee had an unpleasant flavour due to the egg powder or liquid egg used in
manufacture. During the boiling process this would have been sterilised, so that there
was no risk of salmonella bacteria being present.
Some confectionery sold as Milky Crunch consisted of 85 per cent. of an inner
aerated toffee portion with a thin chocolate type coating, in which your analyst was
unable to detect milk solids.
Five samples of meat patties were examined. They contained 12%, 13%, 18.5%, 18.5%,
and 18.5% of total meat respectively. The filling in a meat patty should not be less
than 20%.
Some sausage rolls contained only 13.4% of meat, whereas the average of samples
submitted by Fulham was over 18.8%, as shown by a later investigation, which was carried
out. In conjunction with other public analysts your analyst carried out an investiga
tion into the composition of sausage rolls, Fulham kindly provided 10 of the samples and
these contained 10.3, 11.7, 12,3, 12.9, 16.8, 17.6, 17.6, 18.0, 19.0, and 21.7 per cent,
respectively of Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food "Lean Meat", a method of
description suggested for calculating the meat content of sausages. Based on total meat
content these figures were 12. 3, 13.3, 15.1, 15.9, 20.6, 21.3, 21.3, 22.8, and 24.6 per
cent, respectively.
Some Barbecue sausages contained 57 per cent, total meat, with 29 per cent. of fat.
Your analyst believes that they should not contain more than 40 per cent. of their meat
as fat, whereas this sample contained over 50 per cent., but the Food Standards Committee
has now recommended a maximum quantity of 50 per cent. of fat calculated on the meat
content. The sausages also contained a red dye which was not disclosed on the label.
If ingredients are given on a label the presence of any constituent such as a dye must be
disclosed. With sausages the disclosure is unnecessary but if given, it must be
complete.
A Breakfast Sausage was 20 per cent. deficient in meat as the total meat content was
only 38 per cent. instead of 45 per cent. or more of meat.
The oil in which some Smoked Saithe was packed contained crystals of stearic acid
and the free fatty acids calculated as oleic acid were 43.9 per cent. The product was
unfit for consumption.
Three samples of Italian Apples contained excessive quantities of lead and arsenic.
The lead contents were 5.7, 5.0, and 4.3 parts per million respectively, and the
arsenic contents 3.2, 2.9, and 2.1 parts per million. The proposed legal limits are for
lead 2 parts per million and for arsenic 1 part per million, but the quantities found in