View report page

20
The blue colour used for some coloured popping corns was found to be a colour not permitted
in this country.
Seeds sold as Mustard Seed consisted entirely of white mustard seed, and when sold as a spice
must be labelled as "White Mustard Seed."
A sample of ground aniseed placed in a cardboard container had lost most of its aroma. It also
contained 150 parts per million of lead, whereas the limit for lead in a spice is 10 parts per million.
The description "Bean Gressel" for a sample of "Summer Savory" was considered to be
meaningless in England. The correct name should have been used.
The illustration on a package of horseradish indicated that it was full strength, but the sample
examined in this laboratory appeared to have lost its strength through oxidation and was reported
as inferior.
A sample of ground rice contained a large number of black specks, consisting of vegetable matter,
and was reported as inferior.
A sample of German gelatine was coloured with amaranth which was not disclosed on the label,
either in German or in English.
New Food Legislation.
Four Food Regulations, one draft Regulation and three Food Standards Committee Reports
have been issued during the year.
The Arsenic in Food Regulations, 1959.—The Royal Commission on Arsenic Poisoning met
in 1901-1903, issued a First Report in 1901 and a Final Report in 1903. The full reports with
evidence occupied 780 foolscap pages, but as no real standards were laid down for foods generally,
it was necessary to rely on recommendations, which have been amended slightly from time to time,
leaving the position unsatisfactory. The present Regulations prescribe a standard maximum arsenic
content, expressed as arsenic, of 1 part per million in foods generally, with modifications down to
0.1 part per million for soft drinks and up to 5.0 parts per million for spices, colourings and certain
other substances used in small quantity.
Draft Regulations for Lead in Food.—During the year the Ministers responsible issued this draft
which has not yet been implemented. The proposal is that approximately twice as much lead as
arsenic should be permitted in foods and is, on the whole, very reasonable, though your analyst
cannot see why cider should be permitted to contain 1 part per million of lead, whilst perry may only
contain 0.2 parts per million. Someone appears to have tripped up, but this is a point to which the
perry manufacturers should attend if they wish it to be altered.
The Condensed Milk Regulations, 1959, consolidate and amend the Public Health (Condensed
Milk) Regulations, 1923 to 1953, and now provide for the sale of half cream sweetened or
unsweetened condensed milk with the proviso that it shall be labelled to the effect that it should
not be used for babies except under medical advice. The regulations further lay down revised methods
for the labelling of any type of condensed milk in order to make clear whether the food is prepared
from full cream, half cream, or machine skimmed milk, whether it is sweetened or unsweetened,
and what are the equivalent pints contained in each tin.
The Food Standards (Ice-Cream) Order, 1959, prohibits the use of artificial sweeteners in ice-cream
and, having done so, rescinds the requirement for a minimum quantity of sugar. The fat and milk
solids-not-fat contents of ice-cream remain as before, though if all the fat is derived from milk
such ice-cream may be described as Dairy Ice-Cream, Dairy Cream Ice, or Cream Ice. Provision
is now made for Milk Ices, which contain not less than 2½ per cent. of milk fat and not less than 7
per cent. of milk solids other than fat. Parev (kosher) ice remains as before. Whilst this regulation
makes no provision regarding the labelling of ice-cream made with fat other than milk fat the
Labelling of Food (Amendment) Regulations, 1959, prohibits the use of any illustration suggestive
of butter, cream or milk, or anything connected with the dairy, unless all the fat, other than that
present in egg or a flavouring substance, in the ice-cream is derived from milk, though it is permissible
to state that the ice-cream contains skimmed milk solids. Any ice-cream made with fat other than
milk fat must be labelled to the effect that it "Contains non-milk fat." Since standards are no
longer made under the Emergency Regulations, in order to allow for the modification in labelling
of ice-cream, the wording of the principal Order has been changed slightly. The Ice-Cream (Heat
Treatment, etc.) Regulations, 1959, now permit a sterilisation process, other than pasteurisation, to be
employed and, provided that the whole process is kept sterile, the conditions affecting cooling have
been relaxed. The Methylene Blue Test is maintained for the bacteriological control of the quality
of ice-cream.