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70
As observed in last year's report the amount of adulteration is
increasing.
The increase in the total adulteration does not apply to all samples,
but only to some particular cases, or circumstances connected thereto.
The Preservatives Regulations coming into force two years ago was
one cause, resulting in many samples being returned as adulterated
which previously had been allowed to pass as genuine.
Previous to 1925, spirits had not been sampled for a few years. The
first batch of samples taken after this interval resulted in over 37 per cent.
being found adulterated. This naturally caused a big increase in the
total figure.
A third cause is the increasing practice of taking informal samples.
This enables more particular attention to be paid to the foodstuffs which
experience shows are liable to be tampered with, or are not up to standard
quality.
The average adulteration for the London Boroughs in 1926 was at
the rate of 3.6 per cent., and for the whole of England and Wales
5.8 per cent.
The number of samples examined was in the ratio of 4.75 per 1000 of
the population as compared with 8.96 per 1000 for the London area,
and 3.18 per 1000 for the whole of England and Wales.
Of the 793 samples 248 were purchased informally and all were
submitted by the Inspectors.
Twenty-five of the informal samples were adulterated and 4 were of
inferior quality.
During the first quarter of the year, before the 1927 Act came into
force, 2 Condensed Milks were examined under the Condensed Milk
Regulations and found to be satisfactory, and 6 samples were examined
under the Preservatives Regulations, of which 3 were found to contain
preservatives.
These 8 samples are not included in the above figures.