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FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1955
Examinations of Imported Tea
By Section 1 (1) of the Food and Drugs Act 1955 "no person shall add any substance to food,
use any substance as an ingredient in the preparation of food so as (in any case) to render
the food injurious to health, with intent that the food shall be sold for human consumption in
that state".
Section 1(5) provides that "in determining for the purpose of this Act whether an article of
food is injurious to health, regard shall be had not only to the probable effect of that article on
the health of a person consuming it, but also to the probable cumulative effect of articles of substantially
the same composition on the health of a person consuming such articles in ordinary
quantities".
Tea dust, tea fannings and broken leaf teas are regularly examined on importation for the
presence of extraneous matter/ i.e. sand, metal chafings, etc., and whilst such adulterants are
not necessarily injurious to health, they are "not of the nature, or not of the substance, or not of
the quality" of tea and therefore their presence constitutes an offence under Section 2,of the
Act. "If a person sells to the prejudice of the purchaser any food or drug which is not of the
nature, or not of the substance, or not of the quality of the food or drug demanded, he shall
be guilty of an offence".
As a Food and Drugs Authority and a Riparian Authority, the City of London is charged with
the inspection of imported articles of food for fitness for human consumption when this inspection
has not been carried out by the Port of London Health Inspectors upon discharge of the vessel
in the Docks. This is usually due to discharge "overside" into lighters for landing at an upriver
wharf, in which case it devolves upon the Riparian Authority to carry out the necessary
inspection.
Before 1st January, 1959 the inspection of tea on importation had been carried out by
Officers of H.M. Customs & Excise, and although the Food and Drugs Act, 1955 confers powers
of inspection of all food upon a Food and Drugs Authority, in order to avoid duplicity of action
they generally refrained from further inspection at time of importation.
On 28th November, 1958 Local Authorities were notified that from 1st January, 1959 H.M.
Customs & Excise would cease to sample for analysis imported teas.
With little notice it became necessary to formulate policy, provide for the analysis of
approximately 5,000 samples of tea annually divided between the Port of London and the City of
London, arrange for the sampling and examining techniques to be learned by the Inspectorate and
provide any necessary equipment.
On 1st January a conference was convened at Guildhall at which were present a representative
of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Officers of H.M. Customs & Excise,
Government Chemists, representatives of the Port of London Authority, the Tea Clearing House
Committee, Wharfingers Association, Bonded Warehouses, Public Analyst for the Port and City of
London, and Food Officers of the Port of London Health Authority and the City of London.
The results of examinations during the previous four years were reviewed. The number of
samples taken varied between 3,000 and 5,250 per annum, the percentage of samples reported
against steadily increasing from 0.2% to 2%.
Procedural difficulties were freely discussed and agreement reached. It was made very
apparent that the tea trade is one extremely sensitive to the limitations of time and it was necessary
to undertake that the result of chemical examination be available within 48 hours.
The Public Analyst expressed himself as quite unable to undertake the examination of tea
samples on the scale envisaged owing to inadequate laboratory accommodation, and the Chief
Government Chemist kindly authorised his staff temporarily to continue the examinations.
The procedures decided at this meeting were put into operation on 1st January 1959 and with
some slight "teething troubles", have worked smoothly.
A short course of instruction on the examination of tea as previously carried out for H.M.
Customs & Excise was arranged, and attended by Port Health Inspectors and City Public Health
Inspectors.
Teas are by their nature and packing susceptible to damage by unsuitable or lengthy storage,
and examination is regularly made for moulds, staleness, contamination arising from oil and
water damage as a result of unsuitable storage or accident, or one of the many other possible
hazards attendant upon transportation and storage.
Analysis for metallic contamination revealed many instances of excessive lead contamination
of Formosa Teas. Although these Teas normally are not used unblended, nevertheless they
are "Articles of food, or an ingredient used in the preparation of food" and by Section 1(1) and
(5) of the Food and Drugs Act 1955 quoted above, any excessive lead content renders them unfit
for human consumtpion.
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