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Labelling of Food (Amendment) Regulations, 1958.
This amendment revokes Article 8 (d) of the Labelling of Food Order, so that alcoholic cocktails
need no longer contain 40 per cent. of Proof Spirit, but they will need to be labelled with the
quantity of spirit which is present.
Copper in Foods.
The Ministers of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and of Health duly considered the Report
of the Food Standards Committee and decided not to issue any fresh Regulation, but recommended
limits, which they hope will be adopted. In general it has been found that recommendations of
this type are accepted for enforcement purposes and are not disputed by trade interests.
Tea Examination.
Greater vigilance is necessary regarding the purity of tea following the issue of Circular FSH 16/58,
informing Local Authorities that H.M. Customs and Excise have discontinued sampling tea on
importation for adulteration and unfitness, but it is not anticipated that this will cause any
inconvenience to normal sampling and analysis.
The Therapeutic Substances (Supply of Substances for Analysis) Regulations, 1958.
These regulations came into force as the result of an oversight in the drafting of the Therapeutic
Substances Act, 1956, and enable public analysts and others likely to be responsible for testing
products containing antibiotics, to obtain samples for control and for test.
Thomas McLachlan,
Public Analyst"
Food—Adulterated or Unsatisfactory Samples.
The majority of the unsatisfactory samples referred to in the Analyst's report were in respect of
technical faults in labelling or description and after consultation with the manufacturers concerned
the labels were revised or corrected in all cases. The remainder, which involved no very serious
contraventions, nor showed evidence of intended fraud, were dealt with informally, the goods being
either withdrawn from sale or surrendered. It was not necessary to institute any legal proceedings.
Unsound Food.
The total quantity of food surrendered as being unsound and unfit for human consumption was
approximately 30 tons. A large part again consisted of canned goods including imported meats, fish
and crab. The Public Analyst considers that more efficient processing might reduce the present
number of failures. No very large consignments which called for special action were involved.
When destruction on the premises was impracticable, the food was sent to a central refuse disposal
depot at Westminster.
Milk.
There are 84 registered premises from which milk is sold and 19 milk roundsmen operate in the
Borough from shops or depots elsewhere. A total of 205 inspections were made.
During the year, 280 applications under the Milk (Special Designation) (Raw Milk) Regulations,
1949-1954, and the Milk (Special Designation) (Pasteurised and Sterilised Milk) Regulations, 1949-1953,
were received.
Details are given in Table 15, page 33.
The average composition of the 47 genuine samples of milk analysed was: total solids 12.38 per
cent.; fat 3.66 per cent.; solids not fat 8.72 per cent.; as compared with the legal minima, namely,
11.50 per cent.; 3.00 per cent.; and 8.50 per cent. respectively.
Seven samples of milk taken at the premises of two authorised wholesale firms operating heat
treatment plants were submitted to the tests prescribed for the various designations; all were
reported to be satisfactory. Other samples of milk examined by the Council's Bacteriologist
numbered 58 and all were found to comply with the requisite standards.
Ice-Cream.
1 wo premises are registered for the manufacture of ice-cream and 233 for sale and storage. Details
of the classes of premises are given in Table 16, page 34. Seven samples of ice-cream were examined
by the Council's Bacteriologist, with the following results: Grade I—5, Grade II—2; seven samples
submitted for chemical analysis were also reported to be satisfactory.