View report page

104
pork and other pies, potted meats and brawn, besides a quantity of
tinned meat and fish of various kinds.
"The Council are glad to find that the practice of using preservatives
in canned and glass-packed foods has very much declined since they
called the attention of manufacturers to the subject in 1906, and that
it is only in comparatively few preparations of this class that any
preservative is used at all. The fact, however, that the majority of
manufacturers can put up these articles without using boric acid or
other preservative, leads the Council to hope that others will discontinue
the practice. The particular articles, some makes of which still contain
boric acid, are pastes containing shrimps and those containing ham or
tongue.
"Brawn, pies, and sausages:- From the results obtained by analyses
and the opinions expressed by leading makers of these goods, the
Council are satisfied that the use of preservatives in brawn, pies, and
sausages of various kinds is unnecessary, and that their use, even in
small amounts, is a source of danger, in that they mask the presence of
any putrefaction or decomposition which may have taken place in the
meat, with the result that such meat when eaten would probably cause
serious illness.
"The Council are advised that, if these kind of foods are sold as
' fresh,' there should be no preservative in them; and, if sold as cooked,
the process of cooking is of itself sufficient for their preservation for
a reasonable time.
"If, after the giving of this notice, any person exposes for sale in
the City of Westminster articles of this description, which are found
on analysis to contain preservatives, he will render himself liable to the
institution of legal proceedings, and the Council, therefore, venture to
hope that all manufacturers and retailers of such goods in the City will
take every care to ensure the absence of preservatives from the foodstuffs
they sell."
Following the circulation of this letter, the Metropolitan Grocers',
Provision Dealers' and Oilmen's Association wrote to the Council,
stating that their Executive read with great surprise the circular, and
they considered that one statement in particular contained in the letter
is very remarkable, viz.:—"The use of preservatives, even in small
amounts, is a source of danger, in that they mask the presence of any
putrefaction or decomposition which may have taken place in the meat,
with the result that such meat, when eaten, Would probably cause
serious illness." They pointed out that this is not in accord with the
facts, and that it would be impossible, even with the use of any amount
of boracic acid, to mask the presence of putrefied or decomposed meat.
They stated that they think it most remarkable that the City Council