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143
A sample purchased in the City on the 16th May, 1906, was certified by
the Public Analyst for the City to contain the parts as under:—
Butter Fat 64.8 per cent.
Water 280 „
Curd 5.7 „
Salt and Ash 0.8 „
Boric Acid (H3B03) 0.7 „
100.0
It was first placed on the market some seven years ago. An attempt to
deal with it by legislation was made in 1902; other Bills for the same purpose
followed in the years 1903.4.5. If the recommendations contained in the
Report now under review are adopted in any new legislation, the sale of this
article under the description of butter will be prohibited.
Much evidence was collected by the Committee in connection with
Margarine. There can be no possible objection to the sale of Margarine when it
is honestly sold for what it is. It is a most wholesome article of diet, and is
able to compete with butter on its merits when sold as such, but in the past
it has frequently been sold under somewhat misleading names.
Some manufacturers, having produced an article that they consider of
special excellence, believe it has established sufficient merit to justify them
selling it under a distinctive name. There is no objection to their doing this
provided it is labelled in accordance with the provisions of the Act, but many
of them have selected names for their products which, to say the least of it,
are liable to mislead.
Such names as "Butter.pat," "Creamo," "Churno,"and the like have been Minutes of
adopted, and these are likely to lead the purchaser to imagine that the seiect com
margarine was the produce of a dairy or farm. One firm even went so far as ™°"rad
to print an illustration of a cow on the label, and when it was pointed out to Q.4458 and
r ' Q. 6806.
a witness who was under examination that an ox would have been more
appropriate, considering that the material was made from the fat of that
animal, the Committee were told that it was an error on the part of "the
man who cut the block."
It will thus be seen that the time has arrived when, in the interests of the
public and English Agriculturists in particular, steps must be taken to stop
such abuse by suitable legislative measures.
I submit a copy of the recommendations made by the Committee as a
result of their investigations, and which have since formed the basis of the
"Butter and Margarine Bill" introduced this Session by Sir Edward
Strachey, Bart.