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54
BORIC ACID IN CAKE.
In view of the issue by the Ministry of Health in March last of a circular letter
relative to the use of boric acid in connection with the manufacture of sponge cakes
and biscuits, it may be of interest if I repeat here what has been done in connection
with this subject in the City.
It will be remembered that on numerous occasions during the past eight or
nine years I have drawn attention to the excessive amount of boric acid contained
in liquid eggs and in egg yolk, and that I have mentioned that egg yolk used as an
ingredient in various articles was found to give rise to an excessive amount of
boric acid in the finished product.
I also on another occasion reported that there was a danger, if these yolks
were sold in small quantities, of the public being heavily dosed with boric acid in
the event of such yolks being used for the preparation of such articles as scrambled eggs.
In order to minimise these risks, a meeting of my colleague from the Port,
and of Medical Officers of Health from Metropolitan Areas in which the wharves
where imported egg yolk was landed are situate, was called at my office, and it was
agreed that bulk yolk should only be released on receipt of an undertaking—
(1) That it did not contain any preservative other than boric acid or its sodium equivalent,
and in an amount not exceeding 2 per cent. ;
(2) That it would be sold only to firms engaged in the bakery, wholesale confectionery and
allied trades, and that if used in products prepared for human consumption, the ultimate
amount of boric acid contained in such product would be negligible in amount ;
(3) That it would not be sold to the general public by retail over the counter ; and,
(4) That it would not be put up in receptacles containing less than 7 lbs.
For various reasons these arrangements were found not to be entirely satisfactory
and a meeting was called of manufacturers at the Ministry of Health in
the early part of 1922, when the following arrangements were arrived at:—
"That sponge fingers, sponge biscuits and small sponge cakes should not
"contain boric acid and that the trade as a whole should sign a bond that in
"future when sending out liquid eggs:—
"(1) Sale would only be made on the understanding that liquid whole egg
"must not be used in the manufacture of sponge fingers, biscuits
"and 1 d., 1 \d. and 2d. sponge cakes;
"(2) That the invoice bears a statement to the buyer that liquid egg must
"not be used in the manufacture of sponge fingers, biscuits and 2d.
"sponge cakes;
"and when sending out liquid yolks:—
"(1) Sold only as an ingredient in the manufacture of liquid whole egg
"and the liquid whole egg not to contain more than 50 per cent, of
"the yolks."
Even the above arrangements were found to be not quite satisfactory and a further
agreement, which is referred to in the Ministry's letter, has now been entered into.
This agreement is to the effect that:—
(1) Liquid whole egg should not be manufactured or imported containing
more than 1 per cent, of boric acid.
(2) Liquid egg yolk would not be purchased after 22nd February, 1922, as
new season's yolks for shipment containing more than 15 per cent, of boric acid.
(3) The decision was not to interfere with stocks already on hand, manufactured
or in course of manufacture, nor to apply to contracts already made and
not completed.
Later, in February, 1923, the Bakery Allied Traders' Association resolved that
its members should sign a bond that in future the sale of liquid whole egg should
be under the following conditions:—
(1) Sale only to be made on the understanding that liquid whole egg must
not be used in the manufacture of sponge fingers, sponge biscuits and 1^., 1 \d. and
2d. plain sponge cakes.
(2) That all invoices bear a statement to the buyer that' liquid egg must not
be used in the manufacture of sponge fingers, sponge biscuits and 1 d., 1 \d. and 2d.
plain sponge cakes.
It will be observed that the cakes and biscuits to which the above arrangement
applies are those most likely to be consumed by infants and invalids.