London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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St Pancras 1910

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]

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149
There is little need to comment upon these results except to emphasise the
fact that all the samples contained large quantities of vegetable oils mixed with
more or less fat of animal origin, coloured to represent butter.
Mineral oil was not found to be present in any case.
It may be of interest to point out that where, as was formerly the custom in
many laboratories, refractometric index and velenta number only were relied
upon for roughly distinguishing between margarine and butter, many of these
samples would have been passed as genuine butter.
There can be little doubt that at the time margarine was defined as anything
made in imitation of or resembling butter, it was generally understood that it was
composed of animal fats mixed with milk, but with the increasing importation
of edible vegetable oils and improved processes of manufacture, not to mention
the possibility of the use of mineral oil, it seems desirable that margarine
should be more strictly defined.
Every purchaser ought to know what he is buying—at present the term
margarine permits too much latitude.
I am, Mr. Chairman, Madam, and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed) J. Keak Colwkll.
In order than an opinion may be formed in regard to margarine or other
butter substitutes, and before a definition thereof can be framed, it is necessary
to know what oils fats, and waxes are considered edible, and their relative
values as articles of food.
It is possible that some of these may be found to be more nutritive even
than butter. On the other hand, however, some may be found to be less
nutritive, and possible some to have no nutritious value whatever, and others
to be even injurious if consumed as articles of food.
W ith a view to obtaining this basic information, your Council resolved on the
30th November, 1910, that the foregoing Report of the Public Analyst upon
the composition of margarines submitted to him be forwarded to the Local
Government Board, with a suggestion that reliable research into the relative
nutritive, digestive, and palatable values of animal, vegetable, and mineral oils,
fats, and waxes would form a valuable guide to Local Authorities in determining
... .
their action in respect of butter substitutes offered for sale to the public.
Sule of Margarine Bill. — On November 23rd, 1910, I reported as follows :—
In the Sale of Margarine Bill it is proposed to alter the definition of
margarine in Section 13 of the Butter and Margarine Act, 1907. In that
section it is provided that " the expression ' margarine' shall mean any
" article of food, whether mixed with butter or not, which resembles butter,
" and is not milk-blended butter." In the new Bill, Clause 5, it is proposed
to substitute the words " the expression ' margarine ' shall mean any sub"
stance prepared from beef or mutton fat, or from any vegetable oil which in
" any way resembles butter, or is capable of being used for the same general
" purposes for which butter is used, and which is not butter." The object of
this new definition is in conjunction with the prohibition of the addition of
colouring matter to margarine " to prevent margarine resembling butter."