View report page

38
reforms, both administrative and in relation to such matters as the
composition of food, correct labels and advertisements, provisions as
to warranties and various other matters. In particular, the Minister
of Health has been given powers which he did not formerly possess
for the making of Regulations dealing with the composition of various
foods, and various steps were being taken in this connection until the
outbreak of the War, which has necessitated the suspension of such
deliberations. There is no doubt that the new Act is a real improvement
on the old Act, though naturally there are various doubtful
matters, the effect of which remains to be proved when times are
more normal.
Of the 500 samples examined during the year, 24 had to be
reported as adulterated, and it is perhaps inevitable that my report
should deal with these 24 sinners rather than with the 476 which
needed no repentance. The deficient or adulterated samples included
a Milk which was deficient in fat to the extent of 7 per cent., a
Tinned Cream also deficient in fat, four Butters and one Dripping
which contained excess of water, five Lards which contained substantial
proportions of hydrogenated vegetable fats such as are commonly sold
as Lard Substitutes, three Cheeses, two of which contained large
additions of water and one described as a Cream Cheese which was
not a cream cheese; four specimens of Sausages contained preservative
contrary to the Regulations, one Bread and Butter was found to consist
of bread and a mixture of margarine and butter; two Curry Powders
were somewhat heavily contaminated with lead; and two Grey Powders
had a composition which differed materially from that prescribed by
the British Pharmacopoeia.
Considerable attention has been given to the subject of Cheese.
This is in my opinion particularly necessary now that cheese is
becoming an increasingly important article of diet, and there has been
an increased tendency to incorporate large quantities of water in
processed cheeses. It may be recalled that the processing of cheese
consists in heating the cheese with the addition of certain stabilizing
salts to a pasteurizing temperature. It is subsequently wrapped in
metal foil and will keep for a long period. Originally it was the
practice to add a trifling percentage of water in which to dissolve the
salts, but of late years the amount of water has increased, so that
some brands instead of containing one-third water, i.e., 33 per cent.,
have contained as much as 60 and 64 per cent. of water,—that is, there
has been an addition of water nearly equal to the weight of the cheese.
I have participated in successful prosecutions in other parts of the
Country to suppress this adulteration, but, perhaps fortunately, we
have not had to take such a case in Hampstead. Negotiations were
in progress with the Ministry of Health for the adoption of an
agreed standard, but were suspended as the result of the War.
The position with regard to tin in sugar is still somewhat doubtful.
Sometimes it is present in small quantity, sometimes not. In view of