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117
SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS.
During the year 1,209 articles of food were analysed under the Sale of Food and
Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899. Of this number, 122 were taken as test samples without
the formalities of the Act being observed—these samples being made up as
follows : 12 samples of drugs (purchased in small quantities, when the larger purchase
necessary for division into 3 parts, required by the Act, would have excited suspicion),
2 of lemonade (itinerant vendors), 1 of sherbert water (itinerant vendor), 75 of milk,
30 of butter, and 2 of cider.
Of the former samples, 27, or 2.4 per cent., were certified by the Public Analyst
to be adulterated or not up to the standard, as compared with 2*8 in 1910.
A summary of the Quarterly Reports on all samples examined by the Public
Analyst, showing both those taken in accordance with the Act and those taken otherwise,
and the percentage of adulteration of each individual article, is given on pages
122 and 123. In ten years the percentage of adulteration has steadily fallen from
13.11 per cent, in 1901, to that of 2.5 this year—the lowest on record.
The percentage of adulteration of samples taken in England and Wales in 1877
was 16.2, and this has continuously fallen to 7.6 in 1910, the latest year available.

MILK.
A decrease in milk adulteration during 1911 is shown by the following Table:—
Year.
No. of
Samples
Examined.
Found
Genuine.
Found
Adulterated.
Percentage of
Adulterated
Samples.
1901
392
209
83
81.2
1902
599
519
80
13.3
1903
517
457
60
11.6
1904
452
417
35
7.7
1905
481
445
36
7.5
1906
556
513
43
7.7
1907
472
432
40
8.4
1908
469
440
29
6.2
1909
520
495
25
4.8
1910
474
454
20
4.2
1911
453
438
15
3.3