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183
FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.
This was a short Bill of only three clauses, introduced by the Government
last year in order to deal with a particular kind of sophistication not provided
for in existing statutes.
Under the provision of Section 4 of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1899,
the Board of Agriculture by an Order dated 22nd April, 1902, limited the
amount of water in butter to 16 per cent. The seller of this article
containing a greater quantity of water being not liable under the existing Act,
provided that sufficient disclosure of the fact in made to the purchaser.
Many cases having arisen where persons were deceived as to the true
quality of butter that had been mixed with a quantity of milk, Section 1 (2)
of the Bill classed such a mixture under the term " Butterine," which was
defined as butter to which any substance had been added whereby the amount
of water was increased. It also provided that it should be sold under much
the same conditions as now obtain in relation to Margarine, in addition to
which a statement was to be printed on the wrapper indicating that the butter
had been adulterated or impoverished, and stating the approximate increase of
water therein caused by such admixture.
The Act was to have come into operation on the 1st January, 1903.
Special provision, however, was made for dealing with butters mixed with
brine to which the Act was not to apply until the 1st January, 1904, after
which date the amount of moisture in butter so treated was to be limited to
18 per cent.
Owing to the pressure of other public business it was found impossible to
proceed with the Bill, which was eventually withdrawn by the Government in
November last.
In the interest of the public it is to be hoped that the Government will
reintroduce this Bill, and that it will become law at an early date.*
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
Medical Officer of Health for the
City of London.
public Health Department,
Guildhall, E.C.,
April, 1903.
* This Bill, with certain modifications, was reintroduced in the Commons on the 4th February,
1903, under the title of " The Adulterated Butter Act, 1903."