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45
ICECREAM
Food Standards (Icecream) Regulations 1959,
Labelling of Food (Amendment) Regulations 1959
The composition and labelling of icecream was altered from April
1959, new regulations under the above headings coming into operation
then. A summary of the changes was set out in last year's report. The
44 samples submitted to the public analyst were found to have the
composition shown in the appended table:—

Grading
Icecream is submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for bacteriological
examination. The icecream is graded according to the time taken
to decolorise a dye, methylene blue. The test is a provisional one and
because of the many factors which govern the hygienic quality of icecream
it is recommended officially that judgment should be based on a
series of samples and that too much attention should not be paid to the
result of an individual sample. It is suggested that over a six-monthly
period, at least 50 percent of a vendor's samples should fall into grade 1,
80 percent into grades 1 or 2, not more than 20 percent into grade 3 and
none into grade 4.

In general, grades I and II are satisfactory, while grades III and IV
may indicate some defect in manufacture, handling or storage. Such
cases are followed up and advice is given.