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A product labelled "Concentrated Cheese Sauce", really a cheese dip, contained not
more than 6 per cent of cheese. Unconcentrated cheese sauce must contain approximately 5 per
cent of cheese and this product did not warrant the description "Concentrated".
Four complaints were received regarding bread. One loaf contained a small triangular
piece of stainless steel which had been baked in the bread, another a piece of wire mesh doubtless
from the sieve used in sieving the flour, whilst a third contained a small piece of glass
baked in the loaf. Another loaf, submitted with the yeast employed in manufacture, was found to
be sour due to the presence of rope bacteria, but the yeast was satisfactory and the fault lay in
in the bakery.
\ steel split rivet found in a piece of cake had been cooked in the cake. The green
discolouration on the interior of a sponge cake was due to a penicillium mould and had probably
been introduced by using a contaminated knife to cut the cake.
Some porridge oats were contaminated with a considerable amount of webbing and pieces
of hardened oat matter due obviously to the excretion of insect larva in the carton, although no
moths or larva were found in the oats themselves. It was probable that the infection was due to
one or more larvae of the Ephestia species.
Three samples of sausages were deficient in meat, four contained added preservative
which was not declared thus contravening the Preservatives in Food Regulations, one was both
deficient in meat and contained an undeclared preservative, and another was reported as inferior
because the fat was in greater quantity than the lean meat, the proportions being 51 to 49 per
cent. Foreign matter in a pre-packed sausage was found to be a piece of cardboard typical of
that used for the boxes in which frozen products are packed.
A tin of corned beef was a satisfactory product, but the can contained only 5.7 ozs. of
meat instead of 6 ozs. thereby contravening the Weights & Measures Act.
The meat of some canned minced turkey in jelly was only 77 per cent, whereas the
proposed Regulations for meat in jelly required 80 per cent, allowing for the gelatine.
Two products labelled "Chopped Pork" contained only 70.9 per cent and 81 per cent of
meat respectively. Chopped Pork must contain not less than 90 per cent of meat and these products
should have been described as "Pork Luncheon Meat". Another sample of pork luncheon
meat was received in an open can which showed severe rusting and there were several discoloured
patches on the meat. Two other samples showed some sulphur staining of the cans but insufficient
to warrant any serious objection.
\ shepherds pie possessed a sour taste due to the presence of Clostridium butyricum
bacteria. More care is necessary in the preparation of meals of this type, which must be heated
and cooled quickly.
A complaint was received regarding the discolouration of a veal, ham, and egg pie. This
was found to be due to copper, probably introduced when injecting the jelly into the cooked pie.
A chili con carne contravened the Labelling of Food Order as no list of ingredients was
shown.
A Pork and Goose Liver Pate contained 81% total meat, 44 per cent fat, and 37 per cent
lean meat, showing that the fat was 54 per cent of the total meat content, whereas it should not
be more than 50 per cent. A chicken pate was prepared from chicken and pork and should, therefore,
have been described as "Chicken and pork pate". A product labelled "Devilled Ham" was
considered by your analyst to be misleading as it consisted of a ham pate. A devilled product
should consist of pieces of meat in a sauce. Although the magistrate did not support your analyst,
the Meat and Fish Pastes Order will be amended to make sure that productsof this type arelabelled
correctly. Foreign matter in a can of spaghetti bolognaise was found to be a portion of vein
from a piece of meat, and more care should have been taken in mincing the meat. As veins are
natural to meat this product was reported as inferior. The labelling of another can of spaghetti
bolognaise was incorrect as it listed "Monoglyceride", as an ingredient whereas the correct
description should have been "Partial glycerol esters", or if preferred, "Glyceryl monstearate".
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