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61
THE ICE CREAM (HEAT TREATMENT, ETC.)( AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1963, have
been issued to permit the addition of sugar as well as water to an ice cream mix, which has
been prepared according to the requirements of the main regulations.
THE MILK (SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS) REGULATIONS, 1963, follow the main lines of previous
regulations, but now introduce a test for the efficiency of the heating of so-called sterilised
milk This test depends on the coagulation of a protein, lactalbumen, during the heating of the milk.
THE SOFT DRINKS REGULATIONS, 1963, increase the quantity of fruit juice or comminuted
fruit required to be present in fruit drinks and permit the sale of comminuted fruit drinks made
from citrus fruits other than oranges. They increase the quantity of sugar required to be present
in soft drinks and reduce the permitted amount of saccharin. If present it is now necessary to
declare the presence of saccharin on the label of any soft drink. Unfortunately it is still permissible
to use acetic acid or phosphoric acid in soft drinks so long as they are not described as
fruit squashes, fruit crushes, or comminuted citrus drinks, but it is now illegal to use any pictorial
device or any wording to suggest the presence of fruit which is not represented in the flavouring
of the drink.
THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT, 1963 AND THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES REGULATIONS,
1963, mainly affect Weights and Measures Authorities, though attention will have to be paid to
the net contents of pre-packed foods, when examining such articles.
REPORT OF THE FOOD STANDARDS COMMITTEE ON MEAT PIES.
This report was issued during the year and at the beginning of 1964 draft regulations have
been issued based on the recommendations as modified in view of comments received by the
Minister. Essentially the proposals are that meat pies should contain not less than 25 per cent of
meat, though pies weighing between 4 and 5½ ounces need contain only 1 ounce of meat and
those weighing up to 3 ounces need contain only 5/8 ounce of meat. It is further suggested that
in the event of the quality of larger pies, i.e those over 8 ounces declining as a result of any
regulations, it might be necessary to issue regulations for larger meat pies. Suggestions were
included in the report regarding the absorption of fat from the meat of a meat pie into the surrounding
pastry Recommendations have been made to allow for fat in the pastry in excess of certain
figures, as having been derived from the meat.
A Circular, FSH/Circular 12/63 was issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food advising Local Authorities that the Customs and Excise are no longer testing for arsenic,
glucose or invert sugar used in brewing and that this duty now devolves on Local Authorities in
which breweries are situate Speaking generally manufacturers of these products see that they
comply with the regulations because of the great value of the trade, which they have with brewers
(Signed) THOMAS McLACHLAN.