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81 [1938
Prosecution under the Merchandise Marks Act.—Defendant was selling
imported butter as English; also exposing it for sale (2 summonses). Defendant
fined £1 1s. 0d. and £1 1s. 0d. costs in each case.
In addition to the above cases one sample of whisky contained 1.25 per cent.
of excess water, one of rum contained 1.0 per cent. excess of water, and one of milk
contained 1.76 added water. In each instance a strong letter of warning was sent.
A very interesting case of Pineapple and Apricot Jam containing 52 parts per
million of sulphur dioxide in excess of the regulations was investigated. This jam
was made on the premises of an old-established grocer in accordance with a recipe
taken from a well-known cookery book ; it was made with the best quality ingredients
(tinned pineapple, dried apricots and granulated sugar). Two thousand parts of
sulphur dioxide per million is allowed in dried apricots, sugar 70 parts per million, so
that the possible quantity which might have been found in jam made with these
ingredients was 2,070, whereas the regulations prescribe that the amount of sulphur
dioxide in jam shall not exceed 40 parts per million. As the sample which was taken
contained 92 parts per million, it was 52 parts per million in excess of the regulation.
The offence obviously was committed in ignorance of the exact nature of commercial
dried fruit and a strong warning was given.
During the year 1938, eight formal and fourteen informal samples of cream and
two samples (one formal and one informal) of artificial cream were submitted to the
Public Analyst; all proved to be genuine.
A wide selection (the varieties numbering 137) 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 133, cheese 38, pepper 16, bacon 9, sausages 26, lard 11, dripping 3,
vinegar 10, margarine 30, tinned fish 6, minced beef 2, raisins 9, currants 9, sultanas 7,
fish paste 2, mustard 5, flour 8, skimmed condensed milk (sweetened) 4 and 261 of
various other articles, including drugs, making a total of 585.
During the year 1938, in addition to the samples taken and submitted to the
Public Analyst, there was a total of 78 informal samples of various articles examined
by Inspector Lewis.
Summary of visits in special work made by Mr. C. W. Lewis, the Food and
Drugs Inspector:—
Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act 1,235
Merchandise Marks Act 856
Bacteriological samples and miscellaneous visits, calls, etc. 26
Total 2,117