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328
1911]
INFORMAL SAMPLING OF FOODS.
Inspector Burrell, who for the past four years has been privately sampling
several of the more common foods, such as milk, butter, margarine, demerara
sugar, coffee, and malt vinegar, Has presented the Medical Officer of Health
with a report on his work during the year, from which it appears that he
examined qualitatively 663 samples, of which the composition of 10 were
declared by the vendor at the time of sale, and 68 were adulterated, the percentage
of adulteration thus discovered being 10.2.
Inspector Burrell of course does not pretend to take the place of the
Public Analyst, nor does he pretend to make quantitative analyses, but nevertheless,
his private sampling has led to the detection of a considerable amount
of fraud. The work has been exceedingly well done, for Mr. Burrell is not only
a man of a distinct scientific turn of mind which enables him to understand the
underlying principles of chemical analysis, but is also a most able microscopist,
as anyone can readily understand who has seen some of his entomological work,
or the hundred preparations of the sediments of milk which he has made for
the Medical Officer of Health, and which are, in the opinion of persons who
have seen them, and they are not a few, of exceeding merit.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, Islington.
16th January, 1912.
To Dr. A. E. Harris,
Medical Officer of Health.
Dear Sir,
In compliance with your instructions, I have pleasure in submitting for
your consideration the following report on the testing of informal samples for
the year ending 31st December, 1911.
During the year 663 samples of food were tested and examined, of which
number 585 were found to be genuine, 10 were sold with a declaration
imprinted on the wrappers, while 68, or 10.2 per cent., were adulterated.
The adulterated samples include repetition samples purchased at the same
premises over a course of several days, and samples purchased by young
children.