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Salicylic Acid in Lime Juice.—In my last Report, reference was made to certain
samples of lime juice taken in the year 1911, which contained from 2 to 6 grains of salicylic acid
per pint. Owing to the conflicting opinions expressed by eminent members of the medical
profession who were approached in regard to the question as to whether lime juice containing
these amounts of salicylic acid was injurious to health, proceedings were not instituted. In
February, 1912, a letter from the Council was addressed to the Local Government Board, pointing
out the difficulties in such cases which arose through the absence of official standards, and urging
legislation in accordance with the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Preservatives
in Food. In April the Board replied, stating that the whole question of preservatives in food
and the amendment of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts was receiving their consideration. In the
meantime the issue of regulations as to preservatives in milk and cream has been the only action
taken by the Board.
Cream Regulations.—The Public Health (Milk and Cream) Regulations, 1912 made by the
Local Government Board in pursuance of the powers conferred by Section 1 of the Public Health
(Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907 came into force on October 1st, 1912. They prohibit absolutely
the presence of any kind of preservative in milk or in cream containing less than 35 per cent. of
milk fat, and the addition of any thickening substance except sugar to cream of any kind. In the
case of cream containing 35 per cent. of fat or more, the effect of the Regulations is to permit the
addition of boric acid, borax or peroxide of hydrogen, provided the cream so preserved is sold in
vessels bearing a label with a printed declaration of the percentage of borax or peroxide which has
been used. The addition of any other kind of preservative is prohibited.
The weak point in the Regulations is that they omit, no doubt intentionally, to prescribe a
standard, that is to say, they omit to lay down the percentage of boracic acid which shall not be
exceeded in the addition of this substance for the purpose of preserving cream, and so the trade
and local authorities are left in the old position of intolerable uncertainty which attends the process
of getting a standard settled by the judgment of courts of summary jurisdiction on the expert
evidence given by the two parties concerned.
The Board have been advised that in hot weather cream cannot be preserved by less than
0.4 per cent. of boracic acid. Their Regulations show that they are willing to allow the preserved
cream trade to continue, and it follows that they have come to the conclusion that cream containing
0.4 per cent. is not injurious to the consumer under a system of compulsory declaration. In these
circumstances, the obvious course for the Board to have followed would have been to name the
standard which is, in their opinion, compatible with the preservation of the trade and the public
health at the same time.
Action Taken.—The number of premises in the Borough in which preserved cream is known to
be sold is 99. Classified according to the trade carried on, these premises are as follows, namely:
registered milkshops, 39; shops of provision dealers, 44 ; restaurants, 10; and poulterers' shops, 6.
The cream supplied is bought from 11 different wholesale firms. Of this number six attach
descriptive labels to the jars containing the cream which do not comply with the Regulations, and
six attach declaratory labels in printed type which does not comply in that it is too small. In all,
no less than 63 out of 99 retail firms were found to be selling cream in jars with labels which did
not satisfy the requirements of the Regulations. The suggestion that these 63 firms should be
warned was not adopted by the Public Health Committee, who decided to take no action until a
decision had been arrived at as to whether it would not be advisable to approach the Local
Government Board with the request that the Regulations should be amended in important
particulars.
Margarine and Butter Substitutes.—Under Section 9 of the Margarine Act, 1887, and
Section 7 (4) of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, manufacturers and wholesale dealers in
margarine and margarine cheese are required to register their premises with the local authority.
By Section 1 (1) of the Butter and Margarine Act, 1907, these requirements were, extended to butter
factories and to the premises of wholesale dealers in milk-blended butter, The following premises
in the Borough are registered in accordance with the requirements of the above Acts:—
Lipton, Ltd. 210, Portobello Road.
„ 129, Brompton Road.
E. C. Nicholls 19, Church Street.
C. E. Webb & Sons 39-41, Brompton Road.
Pearks, Ltd. 165, Portobello Road.
The above premises have been registered as those of wholesale dealers in margarine. The
premises of Pearks, Ltd., have also been registered as those of wholesale dealers in mixtures of
butter and milk.