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65 [1936
Of the total samples 1,146 were reported to be genuine and 36 adulterated, or
3.0 per cent.
This percentage is 2.2 above the previous year and 1.5 below the average rate
for the preceding 10 years.
There were 22 prosecutions under the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act,
1928, 19 of which were successful.
14 samples of milk were submitted by the Inspector for bacteriological examination,
see page 31.
With the work under the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act there is a close
co-operation with the work under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act and the Merchandise
Marks Act, which are mainly operated by other Inspectors. The reason for this,
under the Pharmary and Poisons Act, is to prove that an article is a poison, and to
do this it has necessarily to be analysed. It is, therefore, an advantage to make
this examination under the Food and Drugs procedure, if possible, and the evidence
is then ready if action has to be taken also under the Food and Drugs (Adulteration)
Act.

Prosecutions are included in the complete list (p. 68).
In most cases prosecutions were instituted, but in a few where exceptional
circumstances existed, a strong warning was given.
During the year 1936, 1 formal and 3 informal samples of cream were taken;
all proved to be genuine.
A wide selection (the varieties numbering 106) of informal samples were taken
during the year, as these form the basis upon which information is obtained to
enable formal samples to be purchased with a view to prosecution. Informal
samples of butter numbered 56, cheese 20, pepper 10, bacon 16, sausages 33, lard 23,
tea 13, dripping 10, sugar 14, margarine 12, tinned fish 16, minced meat 10, raisins 8,
currants 6, sultanas 6, fish paste 6, mustard 7, flour 8, iodine ointment 6, camphorated
oil 6, and 151 of various other articles, making a total of 437.
During the year 1936 in addition to the samples taken and submitted to the
Public Analyst there was a total of 57 informal samples, which were examined by
Inspector Lewis. These informal samples comprised a number of varied articles.
The greatest amount of detected adulteration occurred in the first quarter of
the year, as shown by the figures given in the following statement