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53
The Orders which have been so far made in respect of foodstuffs are as follows :—
The Merchandise Marks (Imported Goods) No. 3 Order, 1928, relating to honey
and fresh apples.
The Merchandise Marks (Imported Goods) No. 5 Order, 1928, relating to currants,
sultanas, raisins, eggs in shell, dried eggs and oat products.
The Merchandise Marks (Imported Goods) No. 4 Order, 1029, relating to raw
tomatoes.
The Orders No. 3 and No. 5 were referred to in the Annual Report for 1928, and particulars
of the requirements under these Orders were set out in that Report.
Order No. 4 dealing with tomatoes, in addition to the provisions for marking on importation
which does not concern the Local Authority, requires that:—
(a) The outer container of imported raw tomatoes shall be marked with the indication
of origin on exposure for sale wholesale and on sale, whether wholesale or by retail,
by printing, stencilling, stamping or branding, either on the container itself or on a
label securely attached thereto, in letters not less than half an inch in height:
(b) When imported raw tomatoes are exposed for sale by retail, they shall be
marked by means of a show ticket, clearly visible to intending purchasers, bearing" the
indication of origin in letters not less than half an inch in height;
(c) When imported raw tomatoes are sold in quantities of 14 lbs. or less, they are
not required to bear the indication of origin on sale; but the Ministry of Health is
advised that this does not affect the provision requiring marking on exposure for sale,
however small the quantity may be.
In the early part of the present year (1930), legal proceedings were instituted
against a shopkeeper in the Borough for breach of the Merchandise Marks (Imported
Goods) No. 3 Order. In this case batches of imported apples, bearing no indication
of the countries of origin, were exposed for sale in the window and round the
interior of the shop. The manager of the retail shop was verbally warned by the
Inspector, and a written communication drawing attention to the breach of the
Order was sent by the Medical Officer of Health to the proprietor of the establishment.
As the breach continued, samples of the imported apples were taken from
five different batches of the fruit, and particulars of the marks on the packages,
invoices and consignment notes were obtained. Following this action information
was laid before a magistrate at the Police Court, and after several hearings the
defendants were convicted and fined £5 and five guineas costs.
The greatest offenders at present are itinerant fruit vendors: the personnel and
pitch varies so much from day to day that it is not easy to keep in touch with
them. Moreover, information obtained from the stallholder may be correct or
incorrect; it would facilitate efficient administration of the orders if itinerant
vendors were required to have their names and addresses exhibited on the barrows.
Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1926.
This Act provides for the grading and marking of agricultural produce and gives power
to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries by regulations to prescribe "designations"
and "marks" to indicate the quality of such produce.