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A fruit pie filling contained 90 parts per million of tin and
29 parts per million of iron, due to corrosion of the can. The label
showed illustrations of various dishes of fruit quite inconsistent with
the puree contained in the can. A guava jelly was stated on the label
to contain sodium benzoate and 200 parts per million were detected.
Benzonic acid is a prohibited preservative in jams in this county, but
not in America.
The soluble solids of an apple jelly were only 63.1% instead of the
required 65% for jelly jams in a hermetically sealed jar. It was, however,
doubtful whether the jar was really hermetically sealed as the closure
was incapable of holding a partial vacuum and, in that case, the soluble
solids ought to have been not less that 68.5%. It was also 25% deficient
in apple and the name and address of the seller were not on the label.
A home-made plum jam contained only 60% of soluble solids instead of
65%.
There was too much variation in the types of fruit present in two cans
of fruit examined.
A Hymettus honey contained eucalyptus pollen grains which should
not have been present in geniune Hymettus honey; and thyme pollen grains,
which should have been present, were absent, showing that the honey was
not Hymettus honey.
Three samples of Soy sauce contained 82, 12, and 5 parts per million
respectively of parahydroxybenzoic acid which, in the opinion of your
analyst, is a prohibited preservative and must, in any case, be declared in
a separate panel on the label. The Preservatives in Food Regulations
unfortunately provide for the use of preservatives in "Sauce", but do not
define a sauce; and the only legal definition of sauce at the present time
is for a gravy sauce in a meat product.
A "Cassareep flavouring" possessed an objectionable metallic flavour
due to excessive iron. It was also incorrectly labelled as it did not state
that it was foreign produce. The importers stated the flavouring came in
45-gallon second-hand metal barrels which they heated for melt the flavouring
into liquid form in order to fill the bottles.
A mixed spice contained 50 parts per million of copper, whereas the
maximum proposed by the Food Standards Committee of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is 30 parts per million; and a sample of
sage was contaminated with the leaves of the cistus shrub.
A lemon and lime juice drink contained 9.63 grains of cyclamic acid
per 10 gallons of drink, and a ginger beer 9.65% of cyclamic acid per
10 gallons of drink. In view of the small quantities this may have been
present in a concentrate used by the manufacturers, but cyclamates are
no longer permitted for food purposes in this country.
The label of some concentrated apple juice claimed that it was 7 times
concentrated, but analysis showed that the concentration was not greater
than 4 times. Another apple juice contained not more than 80% of apple juice
and was reported as inferior; and a tamarind nectar contained not more than
9% of tamarind juice, and was not considered to be a fruit nectar as such.
Some chocolate buttons were made with skimmed milk powder, and
practically all the fat was palm-kernel fat. As the fat of chocolate must
be cocoa-butter, this confectionery could not be described as chocolate.
B.34