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286
1912]
Butter and Margarine.—240 samples were examined, of which 200
were butter and 40 margarine. Of these, 7 samples of butter, or 3.5 per cent.,
were adulterated; and of the margarine 25, or 62.5 per cent.
The sale of margarine for butter is a practice which still obtains to a considerable
extent,although it is confined to tradesmen of a low grade, and during
the year a strong attempt was made to stop it. It was, however, with the very
greatest difficulty that purchases of adulterated samples were effected, for before
the sale was completed, as so frequently pointed out, the vendor most carefully
scrutinises the purchaser to see if he or she is a regular customer. If not, in all
probability, the article asked for will be provided ; but so soon, however, as the
purchaser's face has become familiar, the chances are that margarine will be
foisted on him or her for butter. Evidently the profits to be made are very great;
for there are one or two persons engaged in this fraudulent trade who, although
they have been heavily fined from time to time, still persist in their nefarious
practice. Magistrates, however, are becoming more severe, and, indeed, one
vendor who had been previously fined was penalized to the extent of £100.
Cheese.—40 samples were examined, but none was adulterated.
Lard.—20 samples of lard were submitted to the Public Analyst, and all
were found to be genuine.
Groceries.—187 samples of various foods, grouped together under this
heading, were submitted to the Public Analyst, and of these 25 were declared
to be adulterated, or 13.8 per cent.