View report page

26
THE SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS.
Six hundred and seventy samples under the Sale of Food
and Drugs Acts, have been analysed during the year.
The greater proportion of the articles analysed consisted as
usual of dairy produce. A systematic sampling was instituted ;
every milk seller whose name appears on the register was
visited and a sample taken in the same manner as an ordinary
purchaser would buy ; if the sample was found to be adulterated,
a second sample was then taken with all the formality of
dividing into three parts, and so forth, laid down by the Act. In
this way, and in this way only, can an accurate judgment be
formed of the real amount of adulteration in the district; for the
vendor in the first instance has no suspicion that the quality of
the article purchased is going to be investigated.
The inquiry was confined to traders having shops
within the district; there still remain to be systematically
investigated a number of traders who have no place of business
in the Borough but sell milk in the streets.
From 343 milk vendors on the register, 351 samples of
milk were taken, and 56 of the 351 samples were below
standard. There were not, however, 56 prosecutions, because
45 of the 56 were test samples, and on taking the official divided
sample at a subsequent date, these 45 samples were found to be
up to the standard. Still, so far as the public is concerned, the
fact remains that of 351 half-pints of milk, 56 or about 16%
were adulterated.
PROSECUTIONS UNDER THE SALE OF FOOD
AND DRUGS ACTS, 1905.
Name. Address. Offence. Fine.
James Hall, 104, Marylebone Milk diluted with £5
Lane, 11 per cent. water
Robert Burnside, 32, Salisbury Milk diluted with .£5
Street, 10 percent. water
Henry J. Crevin, 100, York Street, Milk deficient in ,£5
milk fat 10 per cent.
Mary Cowland, 186, Great Titch- Milk deficient in £1
field Street, milk fat 23 per cent.
Ellen Goodspeed, 42, Richmond Milk deficient in £5
Street, milk fat 20 per cent.
Rosa Cole, 9, Highworth Milk deficient in £5
Street, milk fat 8 per cent.
Phillis Thurlow, 22, Salisbury Milk deficient in £5
Street, milk fat 6 per cent.
H. S. Fryer, 139, Seymour Milk deficient in £1
Street, milk fat 6.7 per
cent.