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58
A sample of Bakewell tart mixture containing instructions for making
'Real Home Made Bakewell Tarts" was adversely reported upon.
In the opinion of the Analyst, bakewell tarts must be made essentially
from ground almonds, whereas this ingredient was absent from the sample.
The manufacturers were informed of the Analyst's contention, but they
maintained that research had established that some people used ground
almonds in bakewell tarts, and some did not. Various recipe reference
books were consulted, and these mostly agreed with the Analyst's opinion.
However, one universally accepted cookery book did give an alternative
recipe, which excluded the use of ground almonds. The manufacturers
were reminded of the differing views expressed in relation to their product.
Several tinned meat products were reported as having, in the opinion
of the Public Analyst, an insufficient total meat content. There is no
statutory standard for the meat content of canned meat products, but
minimum limits have been recommended in the Report of the Food
Standards Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,
published in 1962. These recommendations as yet have no statutory
force, and the manufacturers and the Ministry concerned were informed
of the analyses.
Tinned spaghetti sauce imported from the Continent, had the word
'vegetables' on the label as a description of an ingredient. The Labelling
of Food Order requires that the statement on a label shall specify in the
case of a food made of two or more ingredients, the common or usual
name of the food, and the appropriate designation of each ingredient, and
where it contains an ingredient which is made from two or more constituents,
the appropriate designation of these constituents shall be
specified. The product was in fact not a spaghetti sauce, but a tomato
sauce. Following representations an amended label was submitted to this
Department which incorporated suitable amendments.
Gear oil was found to be present in a loaf which had been baked at
premises outside Westminster. The complaint arose from the too liberal
application of oil, to the bread-making machinery. Enquiry revealed
that the oil used was of the edible variety. The Company on being
informed of the matter apologised for the incident, and undertook in
future to keep the use of oil to a minimum. The local authority in whose
area the bakery was situated reported the premises to be clean, well
supervised and generally satisfactory.
A bottle of milk was found to contain a lump of material approx.
| in. cube adherent to the inside of the bottle. It was considered that
the material consisted very likely of cement dust, together with decomposed
milk.
Proceedings were instituted against the Company concerned, and a fine
of £20 was imposed by the Justices.