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The average composition of the samples returned as genuine was 3.55 per cent.
of fat and 8.96 per cent. of non-fatty solids which must certainly be regarded as
satisfactory.
Margarine.—One of the samples of margarine was found to be a mixture of
equal parts of butter and margarine. The Margarine Act permits the addition of
butter fat to margarine, but the proportion so added must not exceed 10 per cent,
of butter fat.
Pepper.—One of the samples of pepper contained 55 parts per million of
sulphur dioxide. This body, or one of its compounds called a sulphite, is permitted
to be added only to certain specified articles of food as a preservative, but
in this case it was undoubtedly used as a bleaching agent to improve the appearance
of an inferior pepper. Practices of this kind which enable an inferior article to
be sold to a purchaser who has no means of ascertaining its proper value, are
strongly to be condemned.
Sausages.—Both the samples of sausages certified to be adulterated had been
preserved with sulphur dioxide, in one case without due notice being given to the
purchaser. Sausages are permitted to be preserved with sulphur dioxide or a
sulphite, the quantity of the preservative added not to exceed 450 parts per million
in terms of sulphur dioxide, but notice of this addition must be given to the
purchasers.
Tomato Puree.—Seven informal samples of canned tomato puree were all
found to contain considerable quantities of copper and tin, probably dissolved
from the vessels in which the puree was prepared and afterwards put on the
market. On the facts being reported to the importers by the Medical Officer of
Health, I understand the consignment was collected and withdrawn from sale.
Attention must once again be drawn to the desirability of the appointment of
some small Committee which should be empowered, officially, to fix or amend
standards of what may or may not be sold to a purchaser under a given name.
Instances of the necessity of some such action may be found in the present
unsatisfactory nature of articles stated to be filled with cream such as cream buns.
Some makers use a mixture of fats and sugar as a filler while others put in
genuine cream, but both are sold as " Cream Buns " without notice to the
purchaser, frequently giving the vendor of the mixture a much greater profit.
Cream cheese is at present often a soft cheese which may contain as little as
20 per cent. of fat, whereas, what was originally, and still is, known as cream
cheese contains 50 to 60 per cent. of fat. Some years ago a standard for jam
was stated to have been fixed by a joint conference of Jam Manufacturers and
certain Public Analysts, but this can in no way be considered to be an official
standard of what any particular jam ought to be. It may be interesting to add
that this " agreement " was concluded after the prolonged hearing of a case in