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147
Other drugs purchased by them for making up prescriptions may contain
injurious metallic impurities; they should, therefore, take steps to ensure
the entire absence of such contamination from all materials they may be
asked for by their customers.
The remaining 71 articles examined comprised 14 of tinned meats, 10 of
shrimps, 8 of mustard, 6 of cream, 5 each of cocoa, cheese and cider, 4 of
pepper, 3 of lard, 2 each of olive oil, essence of beef and chopped meat, and 1
each of honey, sacramental wine, gin, and feeding extract. All of these, with
the exception of one sample of cream, were returned by the Public Analyst as
genuine. One of the creams was certified to contain 3 per cent. of starch in
the form of starch paste. A prosecution resulted, the Cream Dairy Co., Ltd.,
who were the vendors, being the Defendants. The case was dismissed as
against the Cream Dairy Company, who successfully relied upon a warranty
given them by the Etchingham Dairy Co., Ltd.
The addition of 3 per cent. of starch to cream may appear a small matter,
and that it would not be greatly to the prejudice of the consumer. There is,
however, at present no legal definition of cream, and as its consistency
depends largely upon the proportion of fat it contains, and the public rely
upon its thickness as a criterion of its quality, the addition of starch or
gelatine becomes of considerable importance. It gives the cream a fictitious
appearance of richness much to the advantage of the vendor, who by the aid
of such agents can make an inferior article (cream adulterated with milk) look
like a high-class product.
The Departmental Committee appointed so long ago as January 29th, 1900,
to determine standards for milk and cream recommended, inter alia, on
January 16th, 1901:—
"That the artificial thickening of cream by any addition of gelatine
"or other substance shall raise a presumption that the cream is not
"genuine."
This case is particularly referred to here as it emphasises the need for
early legislation with regard to the warranty clauses in the Sale of Food and
Drugs Acts. Moreover, each of the samples of cream taken during the year
were found to contain boracic acid, but only in one case exceeding the amount
(0.25 per cent.) recommended by the Preservatives Committee, the actual
amount present in this case being 0.3 per cent. On this point, in his last
Quarterly Report for 1906, Dr. Teed remarks, in referring to these cases:
"Here again the working of the Acts would be simplified if the Board of
"Agriculture would exercise its powers in regard to preservatives either by
adopting the recommendations of the Preservatives Committee or by issuing
"Regulations of its own."