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Samples of the following substances were analysed:—
arrowroot, 7 samples; butter, 102; cake, 6; cereals, 18; cheese.
101; cocoa, 13; coffee, 8; essences, 10; lard, 101; fish,
canned or in paste form, 38; flour, 7; food powder, 36;
ginger, 4; jam, 17; margarine, 101; meat products, 40;
mustard, 8; pepper, 3; pickles and sauces, 22; rice, 15; salt.
6; spice, 16; soup, canned, 14; sugar, 103; tea, 100; vegetables,
canned, 32.
The average water content of the 102 samples of butter
was 14.9 per cent; that of the 101 samples of margarine, 15
per cent.
17 of the samples were submitted for analysis on the
complaint of ratepayers, viz.:— one sample of butter, one of
cake, one of coffee extract, one of dessert powder, one of gelatine
and starch powder, two of flour, one of horse-radish powder,
three of milk, one of milk pudding powder, one of mustard,
one of onion extract, two of sugar and one of whisky. The
sample of butter on analysis proved wholly margarine, the
one of cake made of rancid fat; of the three samples of milk,
only one was reported against—containing "bacillus prodigiousus,"
which is a harmless bacterium. The one of mustard
did not contain one of the ingredients required, viz. black
mustard; both samples of sugar contained Epsom salts. The
other 11 samples were reported genuine.
In conclusion, I have to report that the adulteration
detected during 1943, was 27.6 per cent of the formal samples,
and 0.5 per cent of the informal samples, and 1.0 per cent
of all samples submitted
I have the honour to be,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
A. H. M. MUTER, F.I.C., F.C.S,
Public Analyst
325 Kennington Road,
S.E.ii.