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111
The inferior samples were both canned fish in which
1.1 grains of tin per pound were found. The accepted
limit for tin in foodstuffs is two grains per pound, any excess
over this amount being regarded as unnecessary and potentially injurious. Two other canned fish contained amounts
of tin above this limit—both had 3.3 grains per pound—and
in another 0.5 grain of tin as well as 15 parts of lead per
million were discovered. These three were reported
adulterated.
No excess of sulphur dioxide was found in those sausages
which were sold as preserved, but one other was reported
adulterated on account of the finding therein of 110 parts
of sulphur dioxide per million, no declamation of its
presence being made on sale as required by the
Preservatives Regulations. One sample of sausages was
sold canned but in this no tin was found.
The search for poisonous metals in food and drugs, always
a major part of the work of Public Analysts, is becoming
intensified at the present time owing to a variety of reasons,
among which is their somewhat more frequent occurrence
than was the case formerly, and also the desire for the
suppression of all avoidable excess of lead, which is considered more dangerous than most metals owing to its
cumulative poisonous action.
The ever-greater variety of foodstuffs that are now
canned may be one contributory cause of the increase of
this form of adulteration; curious examples in this report
are to be found in tinned beef-steak pudding, raspberry
roly-poly and sausages—all foods which do not seem to be
worth canning—and in last year's report, tinned jam.
Other causes may be unduly long keeping in stock by
retailers and carelessness in manufacture, as well as the
increasing use of tomatoes with tinned fish. Tomatoes
seem, from my experience, to be specially liable to act on
tin containers. Though due care is no doubt exercised by
the majority of packers, it would appear that retailers are
not sufficiently aware that long keeping of canned goods