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262
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
The Chart here inserted presents in a graphic form this variation
in average composition.
For the whole year the average composition proved to be:—
Milk-fat 3.55 per cent.
Solids-not-fat 8.88 per cent.
Butter.
"Extent of the
adulteration
reported.
389 samples were submitted during the year, of which 103 samples
were taken with the necessary formalities, whilst
286 were submitted informally. The total number
reported as adulterated, or not up to standard, amounted to no less
than 99, or 25.4 per cent. The greatest percentage adulteration
occurred in the case of the formal samples, where it amounted to
30 per cent., as against 23.7 per cent. for the informal samples.
This high figure in the case of the samples submitted formally is to
be explained by the fact that formal samples were taken in most
instances only when informal sampling showed that systematic
adulteration was being practised. Even in the case of the informal
samples, the percentage of adulteration (23.7 per cent.) reaches
a figure higher than any yet recorded, and affords striking evidence
of the value of informal working in detecting and exposing fraudulent
practice.
Nature of the
adulteration
reported.
The nature of the adulteration reported showed that in 59
instances margarine was wholly substituted for
butter; in 22 instances mixtures of butter and margarine,
in varying amounts, were sold; in 13 instances the butter
sold contained an excess of boron preservative, and in five instances
an excess of water.
Full details of these cases are given in Table D.
The presence of
Preservatives.
All samples were examined for the presence of preservatives,
with the result that a boron preservative was found
in 316 (or 81.2 per cent.) of the samples submitted.
With the exception of the 13 cases mentioned above, this was
present in quantities not exceeding 0.5 per cent. (equivalent to
35 grains per lb.) calculated in terms of Crystallised Boric Acid, the
actual amounts and the times of their occurrence being given in
Table E.