View report page

53
8. The Canning of Food and Feeding Stuffs and Home-Canned Fruit and
Vegetables (Revocation) Order, 1953—by virtue of this Order, it is no
longer necessary to declare ingredients on labels given in respect of canned
fruit and canned vegetables.
9. The Merchandise Marks Act, 1953—this statute, which comes into operation
on 31st January, 1954, strengthens the law against misleading and false trade
descriptions, by including " misleading" trade descriptions, and a provision
relative to " quality " as well as description of " fitness for purpose, strength,
performance or behaviour " of an article.
Manufacturers of food and drugs will need to reconsider the wording of
their advertisements and labels—for no exemption is given in favour of what
has up to the present been legitimate, although exaggerated. Manufacturers
of proprietary medicines, and particularly those who manufacture special
brands of infants' and invalids' foods, will need to exercise great care if they
are to comply with these new conditions. It must also be remembered that
the new Act increases the maximum fine at Petty Sessions, for a first offence
under Section 2 of the Act of 1887, to £100.
The inspection of food and food premises continued during the year, and a
number of complaints were received of alleged foreign matter in food, including :—
A staple in cake.
A beetle in loaf.
Matchstick in bread.
Nail in loaf.
Enamel in tin of stewed steak.
Piece of metal in sausage.
Glass in milk and in pickles.
Button in mince tart.
Mould in meat pie and apple turnover.
Maggotty toffee.
Dirty milk bottles.
In the majority of cases, the evidence was not sufficient to justify statutory
action being taken.
Food and Drugs Act, 1938.
Number of food premises in the area, and type of business.
Bakehouses—level 35
—basement 25
Food factories 41
Fish friers 73
Fish curers 33