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not just as gum, since other gums are used quite as frequently for food
purposes.
A mentholated balsam gave a list of ingredients which was far from
correct, and a Children's Cherry Linctus also listed ingredients incorrectly
described.
Some slimming .pastilles were sold without directions about their use or
information about how to regulate the diet, information which, it was
thought, should be supplied.
A syrup of aniseed smelled more strongly of chloroform than of aniseed,
and in fact 2.1 per cent of chloroform and only 0.08 per cent of
aniseed oil were present. In any case aniseed oil is useless for the treatment
of coughs and colds.
The labels of 21 different products were reported against because they
showed illustrations of garnishings etc., not actually present in the pack,
but in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food, Food Standards Committee no such illustrations should
be employed unless the garnishings are present.
Certain foods( submitted as complaints by purchasers or for other reasons
were examined and reported as satisfactory. These included some dates
which were thought to be mouldy. It is impossible to dry dates without a
little mould developing on the outer surface, but this is killed by an excess
of sugar although the mould spores remain and these dates were considered
to be more or less normal.
Some sour sop had an unusual flavour but nothing wrong could be found.
If people try new preparations they must be prepared not to like everything
they try, though there will be many that they do like.
A pancake roll contained 10 per cent ot total fat, and although the
fat was satisfactory and no lead or arsenic could be detected, it was quite
likely that the large content of fat in an unaccustomed meal might be upsetting.
A curry powder was stated to have made 7 out of 30-40 people ill and
was tested for lead, copper and arsenic none of which were in excess and
no insect fragments were detected. It contained far more cummin than usual
for a curry powder and this might have caused a slight stomach upset to
people unaccustomed to it.
Some confectionery described as "Playtime Drops" which looked like
chocolate was made with palm kernel oil and as it was not described as
chocolate it was thought that no exception could be taken to it.
A can of grapefruit juice and another of pineapple pieces appeared
corroded on the interior surfaces but the contents of boths cans were satisfactory
and the tin and lead contents were well within the permitted
limits.
Some whisky was submitted with a complaint that it had been watered,
but the proof strength was found to be 69.98°.
An elderly man stated he had suffered loss of control of his legs
after consuming 2 cans of pilchards. A can was examined for copper, zinc,
cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and antimony and all were found to be absent.
A member of the staff ate one pilchard and suffered no ill effects, so it
was felt that the complainant's indisposition must be due to some other
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