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62
Ellon Finucane, of 71, Salisbury Street, was fined £1
and 12s. 6d. costs for selling margarine instead of
butter.
For a. similar offence Arthur Picken, of 458, Edgware
Road was fined £l and 12s. 6(1. costs.
Elizabeth Smallwood was fined 10s. and 12s. costs for
selling coffee mixed with 30 per cent, chicory.
Two of the samples of milk had traces of borax. One
milk was preserved with formalin.
With regard to preservatives in milk a recent circular
letter issued by the Local Government Board states that in
the opinion of the Board based upon the report of the
Departmental Committee on Preservatives and Colouring
Matters in Food and also on further evidence, milk traders
are able to conduct their business without the use of preservatives
and that when a preservative is found in milk the
case should in ordinary circumstances be regarded as one
for the institution of proceedings.
As regards formalin and boron preservatives " the
Board are advised the presence in milk of formalin to an
amount which is ascertained by examination within three
days of collecting the sample to exceed 1 part in 40,000 (1
part in 100,000 of formic aldehyde) raises a strong presumption
that the article has been rendered injurious to health
and that the purchaser has been prejudiced in the above
sense ; and also that similar presumption is raised where
boron preservatives are present in milk to an amount
exceeding 57 parts of boric acid per 100,000 or 40 grains of
boric acid per gallon."
A few tinned or canned goods were examined, these
were all sterile and of healthy materials ; a tin of shrimps,
however, contained borax, a quite unnecessary addition.
It is proposed, in view of the statements that have been
made as to the preparation of canned meats in Chicago, to
examine methodically during the next three months a numof
canned meats; the examination has indeed already
commenced.