View report page

no specific mention about restrictions on the quantity of carbohydrate in starch reduced
flour, it may be assumed that the same restrictions apply as for starch reduced bread.
Starch reduced bread may contain not more than 50% of carbohydrate calculated on the dry
matter. A self-raising flour contained 5.3% of sodium bicarbonate in excess of the quantity
required to neutralise the acid constituents of the baking powder, and pastry made from it
would have a brownish colour and an objectionable flavour.
Some fruit salad contained various minor errors on the label. The label described the
product as "In heavy syrup" but the syrup contained only 11% of sugar whereas it should
have been at least 19-21%. It also contained an added colour, which although permitted,
was not disclosed on the label. Two pieces of wood were stated to have been found in a
can of prunes. A water extract from the wood was a light brown colour, had the odour of
prunes, and contained sugar, proving that the claim that it had been in the can of prunes
was probably correct. The wood had very likely been derived from a case in which the
original prunes had been packed. A complaint was received that a piece of glass found in
a jar of jam had caused a cut mouth. The top of the jar was chipped but no further glass
was found in the jar and the plastic insert of the lid showed no signs of uneven pressure
during storage owing to the piece of missing glass at the area of contact. It was thought
the top of the glass jar may have been cracked, and the piece knocked out of the jar on
the complainant's premises.
Some chopped pork contained only 80% of total meat whereas it must contain not
less than 90% of meat. The product should have been described as "Luncheon Meat".
Three samples of Irish stew contained respectively 21%, 26% and 33% of total meat,
whereas the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food suggest that canned meat and
vegetables should contain not less than 35% of meat. Two tins of devilled ham consisted
of meat paste or pate, whereas in 1he opinion of your analyst devilled meat must consist
of pieces or slices of meat in a hot sauce or gravy, but the product should not be a finely
mashed product. Some corned beef possessed an unpleasant odour of crude mineral oil
Although there was insufficient to taste or determine, it was thought that the tinplate had
been improperly cleaned before the cans were made. Another can of corned beef also
submitted as a complaint because of the dark colour of the meat, was found to have
several small pieces of metal on the exterior surface. The can itself was in good condition
and the pieces of metal were due to the tinplate having been slightly oily when the
cans were made, resulting in minute fragments of metal from the machinery adhering to the
surface. A black pudding had been filled into a synthetic casing dyed with green S and
Hexacol violet ENP both artificial but permitted food colours, but the green colour had
been absorbed into the black pudding, giving it an unpleasant appearance.
A complaint was received regarding dark material in a portion of pork pie. It was found
to consist of a piece of hide with adherent bristles. Four samples of pork sausages contained
sulphur dioxide but they must be labelled in accordance with the requirements of
the Preservatives in Food Regulations 1962. Several samples of shredded beef suet were
examined and three were deficientin fat, containing respectively 81%, 80.3% and 80%. The
Food Standards (Suet) Order 1952, requires not less than 83% of fat in shredded suet, but
the manufacturers always claim that it is difficult to obtain a satisfactory distribution of
starch on the suet shreds.
Examination of some dry matter stated to have come from a coca-cola bottle was found
to be dried mould mycelium. A complaint was made regarding a bottle of a ready to drink
drink, which was flat on receipt. Comparison with an unopened bottle showed them to be
quite different and it was thought the complaint product had probably been tampered with
after purchase by the removal of approximately half the contents of the bottle and its replacement
by tap water.
A vegetarian jelly was stated to contain vegetable gum as an ingredient. At present
the name of the vegetable gum must be stated, but the recommendation of the Food Standards
Committee is that further legislation should enable these gums to be described in
(21)