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as "Butterine" was applied to products which were only substitutes for butter
This practice was ultimately prohibited and the word "Margarine" substituted
to denote all such products
I advised the Sanitary Committee of the possibility of the sale of this Compound
lard constituting an offence against the provisions of the Merchandise Mark Act
but as this seemed to be a roundabout process the Ministry of Health and the Ministry
of Agriculture were acquainted with the circumstances above referred to and
a recommendation sent that it should be made illegal to use the word "Lard" in
connection with preparations not consisting of lard or in which lard only constitutes
a portion of the bulk if such preparations are intended as substitutes for
lard and to be used for human consumption
IMPORTED SKIMMED CONDENSED MILK
In May last seven cases each containing 48 tins of Condensed Milk lying at
Fresh Wharf Lower Thames Street and imported from Holland were examined
by one of my officers
Apparently the tins were in sound condition except that some were slightly
rusty On being opened however many of the tins were found to contain thick
and discoloured milk
A stop was placed upon the consignment and specimen tins sent to the Public
Analyst for examination who reported as follows
" Both samples were condensed 'machine skimmed' (ie separated) milk
and both samples were sweetened with cane sugar"
As these tins were not labelled "machine skimmed" or "skimmed milk"
as is required by Section 1 (c) of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts 1899 information
was forwarded to the Commissioner of Customs and to the Ministry of Agriculture
It is of interest to note that action in respect of such unlabelled imported
skimmed milk does not come within the scope of the duties of a Sanitary Authority
but devolves upon the Commissioners of Customs I am not quite sure as to the
reason for the difference in procedure in the case of imported skimmed condensed
milk and imported margarine in which latter instance the Local Authority may
take action and at my suggestion the Corporation communicated with the Ministry
of Agriculture to the effect that it would be an advantage if the Local Authority
could be given concurrent powers with the Commissioners of Customs in respect
of offences of this nature
CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES IN IMPORTED FRUIT PULP
The question of the presence of preservatives in imported food stuffs has again
been the subject of report to the Sanitary Committee of the Corporation In
consequence of a communication received from the Ministry of Health four samples
of a consignment of fruit pulp were submitted to the City Analyst with a request
that they should be examined for the presence of preservative
The Analyst reported that each sample contained sulphur dioxide to the
following extent:—
Sample 18 Strawberry Pulp So2 014%
„ 28 „ „ 0011%
38 „ „ „ 0011%
„ 1R Raspberry Pulp 0018%
The amount of preservative is certainly not large and would practically
disappear in the process of the cooking to which as the pulp is used for jam making
practically all of it is subjected I do not think however that chemical preservatives
of any nature should be permitted in foodstuffs except under regulation
So far as I am aware no other country permits the unrestricted importation
of foodstuffs to which preservatives have been added and I certainly think if
present scientific knowledge is inadequate for the purpose of enabling regulations
to be framed or if doubt exists as to the harmfulness or otherwise to human
beings of certain of the more commonly used preservatives it is time that some
investigation work was carried out to enable a definite position to be taken up
The circumstances were reported to the Ministry of Health the Corporation
at the same time suggesting that some control should be exercised over the nature
and amount of preservative used in imported foodstuffs
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