View report page

139
SALE OF BUTTER BILL.
The Government have again introduced a short Bill to deal with a particular
form of butter sophistication not provided for in existing statutes. In April,
1902, the Board of Agriculture, under the provision of Section 4 of the Sale
of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, made an Order limiting the amount of water
in butter to 16 per cent. This restriction is made a statutory one in the
Sale of Butter Bill, which also prohibits the addition of any substance whereby
the amount of water in butter is increased. The object of the Bill is to stop
the manufacture and sale of "milk-blended" butter, many cases having arisen
where persons were deceived as to the true quality of the article sold under this
name.
The Bill allows Irish salt firkin butter a limit of 20 per cent1. of water until
such date as may be fixed by an Order in Council. It is to be construed as
one with the Margarine Act, 1887, and if passed will come into force on
the 1st January, 1905.
Two or three other Bills on similar lines have been introduced by the
Government in recent years, but none of them reached the final stage.
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
m. mvligilg
Medical Officer of Health for the
City of London.
public Health department,
Guildhall, E.C.,
April, 1904.