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food supervision, 63
Penalties are provided for the infringement of the provisions. There is no definition of
the term " ice-cream."
At the close of the year 25 makers and vendors of ice-creams had been placed on the
Register, 12 being Italians selling from street barrows. Of these 12—
3 were found to make ice-cream in stables where animals were kept;
1 was „ „ „ in a disused stable;
1 „ „ „ „ in living and sleeping room;
7 were „ „ „ in sculleries and open yards.
The remaining 13 makers comprised 3 Italians, 4 Germans and 6 Englishmen. Two of
the Italians made their ice-cream in disused stables and one in his scullery. The Germans
and Englishmen made theirs in the shops. The Register was probably incomplete at the close
of the year.
(v)—Miscf.llanf.ous : The greengrocers' shops, costers' barrows, etc., have been
inspected frequently. Several seizures of small parcels of unsound fruit, etc., were made.
This work will receive more attention during the hot weather of the current year, as the
Inspector now knows where bad or doubtful stuff may be looked for.
Unsound Food.—The Inspector reports that he has dealt with the following quantities and
descriptions of food unfit for the food of man :—
By voluntary destruction. By seizure.
73 Livers. 33lhs. Meat. lOlbs. Plums.
45) Lungs. 170lbs. Haddocks. 231bs. Tomatoes.
16 Plucks. 37 Small parcels of fruit. l0lbs. Mushrooms.
2 Cows' heads. 31bs. Greengages.
4 Miscellaneous. 121bs. Mixed.
The results of proceedings instituted with respect to the seizures made will he found
under Legal Proceedings.
(vi.)—Food Analysis.—The samples taken during the year under the Sale of Food and
Drugs Acts numbered 529, of which 47 (8.8) proved to be adulterated. In 1901 the proportion
adulterated was 10.9. A list of the samples taken and of those found adulterated will be
found in Table 38, and the results of prosecutions under Legal Proceedings.
The Home Secretary having had his attention directed by " a local authoritv charged
with the enforcement of the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts," to the inadequate
fines imposed for breaches of these Statutes, addressed a circular letter on the subject to the
Clerks of the Justices of all Petty Sessional Divisions. The letter is dated 24th July, 1902,
and states that the representation referred to is "by no means the first of the kind" addressed
to the Home Office, and that the Local Government Board have received other similar complaints.
Attention is called to the Report of the Select Committee on Adulteration of Food
Products of 1896, in which the small fines usually imposed are characterized as "trifling, and
quite insufficient to serve as deterrents." In 1900 28½ per cent. of the penalties imposed
were under 10s., amounts of 5s, and 1s. being common. The Home Secretary expressed the
wish that Justices should consider whether the penalties proposed to be inflicted were such as
would "deter the offenders from repeating and other persons from committing" offences under
the Acts.
It is believed that Magistrates will not deal effectively with adulteration until substantial
minimum penalties, limited perhaps to second and subsequent offences, are provided for.
The profit from adulteration is very great, and the chance of detection comparatively small.
There is good reason to believe that at certain shops it is the rule to serve genuine goods to
chance customers, thus freeing themselves from risk of the Inspector or his deputy getting an
adulterated sample, and palm off adulterated goods on their regular customers.