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FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFFS ACT, 1928.
During the year 150 visits have been made in connection with the above-mentioned
Act, and 25 special enquiries instituted in connection with reports by other Authorities of
neglect to comply with requirements. Offences disclosed have nearly always been due to
ignorance of the somewhat difficult clauses of the Act, and the assistance which your Officer
has been able to give in explaining the points of difficulty has been much appreciated.
The Quarterly Returns to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have been made
in the usual way.
SUPERVISION OF FOOD AND DRUGS.
During the year 1933, 1,012 samples of food and drugs were submitted to the Public
Analyst for examination, 807 of which were taken as informal or test samples without the
formalities of the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928, being observed. Seventeen of
these informal samples were reported against, as follows:—
Samples.
3 Sausages 43
3 Spices, Herbs and Condiments 49
2 Soups 6
2 Pickles and Sauces 19
2 Wines, Non-Alcoholic 11
1 Camphorated Oil 4
1 Glycerin of Alum 2
1 Glycerin of Phenol 2
1 Magnesia Preparation 1
1 Grey Powder 1
17
Of the formal samples, 21 out of 205 were reported against, as follows:—
Samples.
11 Milk 165
2 Pickles and Sauces 2
2 Spices and Herbs 2
1 Mustard 1
1 Rum 12
1 Camphorated Oil 1
1 Glycerin of Alum 1
1 Glycerin of Phenol 1
1 Tincture of Iodine 1
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The above-mentioned samples, with the exception of milk and rum, were taken as
the result of informal samples having been reported against.
General Observations.—The percentage rate of adulteration of all food and drugs sampled
in the City was 3.7, as compared with 4.4 in 1932.
Butter, Cream and Cheese.—It is interesting to note that none of the 63 samples of these
dairy products was reported against.
Spices, etc.—Of the 72 samples of spices, herbs, condiments, pickles and sauces taken,
9 were reported against, 8 of which related to adulterated mint. This mint, originally
imported, was found to be an admixture of dried mint with quantities of leaves of Ailanthus
(Tree of Heaven), varying from 20 per cent. to as much as 50 per cent. These leaves are
practically tasteless and odourless, and are used for packing, and have been in use in Italy
for feeding certain types of silkworm. They are, of course, quite useless for the purpose
of flavouring, for which mint is employed. Three prosecutions were taken in connection
with the sale of this article.
Sausages.—By the Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Regulations, sausages
is one of the articles in which Sulphur Dioxide preservative is permitted to be used to a
limited amount, provided that the presence of preservative is declared by notice or label
in a specified manner. Of the 43 samples of sausages purchased, 14 were sold as containing
preservative, and, on examination, the actual amount in no case exceeded the maximum
permitted. Three samples were reported against as containing preservative, though no