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the rejected portion of the oranges is generally used for the manufacture of marmalade, which
also has to comply with a standard under the Food Standards (Preserves) Order, it is difficult
to see how one batch of oranges can supply essential fruit for two different products to comply
with different Orders.
A seed crescent roll was submitted because of a complaint by the purchaser. It contained a
mark due to the presence of mineral oil and vegetable fibres, probably derived from shafting used
for plant in making the dough. A sample of brown bread was musty on receipt but, as it was
four days old and there was no information regarding the conditions under which it had been kept,
it was difficult to make any statement about it. The mustiness had probably been acquired in the
bread bin of the complainant.
A chelsea bun was submitted because of the complaint that it was so bitter it was inedible.
Your analyst ate some but was unable to detect any bitterness. The bun appeared, however,
to have been made with unwashed currants and was very gritty ; this may have been partially
responsible for making the member of the public complain that the bun was bitter.
A complaint was made about the offensive odour of a Christmas cake. The odour emanated
essentially from the white icing, and was due to the albumen used in its manufacture. Some of
the albumen was examined and found to be of poor quality, but the albumen solution had evidently
been made up and allowed to stand for some time before use. A bulletin issued by the Ministry
of Health recommends that dried egg should not be mixed with cold water and allowed to stand,
but should be used immediately after reconstitution.
A sample of marmalade and three samples of gooseberry jam were found to be slightly caramelised
and badly crystallised, due to having been boiled down too far in manufacture. The marmalade
contained 76.2 per cent, of soluble solids, and the jams 77.2 per cent., 77.0 per cent., and 76.8 per
cent, iespectively. The Food Standaids (Preserves) Order, requiies preserves to contain not
less than 68.5 per cent, of soluble solids, calculated as sucrose, so that these samples were all
approximately 12 per cent, above the minimum figure. Once crystallisation has commenced it
spreads rapidly as soon as the preserve is stirred.
Some canned strawberries labelled as being in light syrup contained only 16.5 per cent, of sugar
in the syrup, whilst the sugar in the fruit was only 15.9 per cent. The Ministry of Food, S. R.
& O. 1946, No. 1724 as amended by S. I. 1948, Nos. 397 and 1884, stipulates that home canned
strawberries shall be packed in a syrup of not less than 39 Brix, which is a heavy syrup. This is,
of course, only binding on home produced goods, but it should be a guide to importers. The
strawberries when cooked with added sugar were found to have a very good aroma and flavour,
but as packed they were too sour for the British palate.
A sample of advocaat was examined because it was alleged to be very bitter and unfit to drink.
The sample contained 3.6 per cent, of fat, of which the free fatty acids calculated as oleic acid
were 4.4 per cent. The advocaat was bitterish and curdled, probably due to the oxidation and
rancidity of the egg at present. Whilst advocaat is a well known drink it is a preparation which
requires to be consumed fairly soon after manufacture, and certainly soon after a bottle is opened.
Some beef suet contained only 77.1 per cent, of fat whereas according to the Food Standards
(Suet) Order, 1952, shredded suet must contain not less than 83 per cent, by weight of beef fat.
This sample was therefore 6 per. cent, deficient in fat.
A piece of beef steak submitted because a member of the public suspected it to be horseflesh
was examined and found to be horseflesh. A sample submitted as beef steak and chips was
examined and again the meat consisted of cooked horseflesh.
Some pork sausages contained only 50 per cent, of total meat and were therefore 23 per cent,
deficient in meat. Pork sausages must contain not less than 65 per cent, of meat.
The structure of the flesh of some canned rock lobster was very soft and ill defined. It was
probably slightly decomposed before being canned, but had been sterilised during the canning
process.
A sample of haematinic compound with hog stomach was stated to contain a haematinic
compound, but there is no such compound. It was considered that the label should be restricted
to the use of the description blood tablets or capsules.
A member of the public complained of the unpleasant taste of some sugared almonds. These
were examined but only the one which had been in the person's mouth possessed an unpleasant
taste. The ash on the sugar was 0.2 per cent, and it not only possessed an unpleasant flavour
but the chief constituent of the ash was calcium. This sugared almond must therefore have
been placed somewhere where it had been splashed with a calcium chloride brine from a
refrigerator or alternatively some person must have contaminated it with calcium chloride brine.
Some nutty toffees were examined and out of 12 pieces submitted 3 contained faecal matter
from some form of larva, but the actual insect could not be detected.