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"(b.) Pork imported in portions less than the entire carcase to be enclosed
"in boxes, barrels, bags, or other receptacles bearing an official mark
"which has been accepted by the Board. The Board's acceptance of
"any proposed mark as an official mark would depend upon the
"evidence forthcoming from the exporting country that the mark
"affords a guarantee that the carcases from which the portions of pork
"have been derived hare been examined by competent and responsible
"officers and have been found free from tuberculosis in any degree.
PART III. TRIPE, TONGUES AND KIDNEYS, HEAVILY DOSED
WITH PRESERVATIVES.
This deals with the question of the addition of boron compounds and other
preservatives for the purpose of preservation. A statement is made that the
amount found is seldom less than 60 grains per lb., and sometimes over 150
grains per lb. (2.14 per cent.).*
"These amounts are so large that it is justifiable to infer that many persons who eat
"tripe of this kind would incur definite risk to health from the dose of boric acid
"taken. A quarter of a pound of this tripe—which may be considered a moderate
"meal—must often contain more than the maximum dose of boric acid prescribed
"for an adult by the British Pharmacopoeia. It must be remembered that tripe is
"considered to be a food easy of digestion, and is given to invalids on that account.
"A further and important objection to this tripe is that decomposition may set in,
"but owing to the presence of the preservative, no obvious sign of it will be present.
" Suggested Application of Regulations to Tripe, Tongues, and Kidneys
"Imported in Preservative Solutions or Packing.
"The considerations above set out indicate the desirability of action by the Board,
"under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, to prevent the
"introduction from abroad at English ports of tripe (whether cooked or uncooked),
"tongues, and kidneys, which arrive in receptacles containing any preparations
"consisting of or comprising boric acid ; borax or other borates; sulphurous acid
"or sulphites."
It will be noted that the views and recommendations set forth in Parts
I. and II. of the above Report strongly confirm the views of the
Corporation as set forth in the Reports of the Sanitary Committee.
If regulations are made on these lines under the powers of the Public
Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, a considerable safeguard to the
health of the people will be established, and a legitimate grievance of the
Home trader and producer as to unfair competition will be removed.
* In this connection it may be mentioned that it has been found by Professor Klein that—provided the
conditions as to locality, general cleanliness, character of the meat and bread are satisfactory—the minimum
quantity of "boric preservative" required for arresting decomposition in sausaee meat for a period of three
days under normal conditions is 26.24 grains, or 0 37 per cent, of preservative to the pound of sausage material