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Some ‘real table cream dessert topping,’ packed in an aerosol pressure container with nitrous
oxide gas, was claimed to keep, but was found to decompose once the cream was expressed into
the nozzle and freed from the nitrous oxide. As the cream keeps inside the container under pressure
of the nitrous oxide, the latter acts as a preservative and in the opinion of your analyst contravenes
the Preservatives Regulations.
Two samples of butter contained 16.4 and 16.15 per cent. of water respectively which is in excess
of the 16 per cent. legal limit (Food Standards (Butter and Margarine) Regulations, 1955).
Three samples of processed cheese were deficient in fat calculated on the dry matter ; they
contained respectively 41.5 per cent., 30.7 per cent. and 35 per cent. of fat instead of 48 per cent.
Two of these samples were labelled only in German. They were, moreover, margarine cheeses and
should have been sold as such. A Bavarian blue cheese contained 46.1 per cent. of fat on the dry
matter instead of 50 per cent., and the German label stating ‘50 per cent. Fett i.T. Kase 50 per
cent.’ was not only misleading but incorrect.
A sample of wheatmeal flour contained only 0.0165 per cent. of calcium carbonate which is half
the quantity demanded by the Flour (Composition) Regulations, 1956.
The label of a whole-meal baby food failed to comply with the Labelling of Food Order, as it
was claimed to possess all the vitamins required but no quantities were given. It was in fact doubtful
whether it contained all the vitamins required in spite of the fact that it had been ‘Bio-dynamically
grown.’ In general, cereals are deficient in vitamin D, and oats, owing to their high content of
phytic acid, require more vitamin D in order to enable calcium to be properly metabolised.
Three samples of Tanganyika rice were examined. The first sample was dirty, containing small
pellets of rice grain tissues mixed with insect hairs, dirt, vegetable tissue and small insect parts.
Two further samples were submitted, before and after fumigation and cleaning. Before cleaning
the sample contained 18 live weevils, 6 foreign seeds and 20 pellets consisting of clay and mixed
vegetable matter. After cleaning approximately 12 pellets of shrivelled up rice and pieces of clay,
and 2 pellets of insect parts, dirt and vegetable tissue remained in the rice.
A sample of cornflakes was submitted with the complaint that it contained a black tarry foreign
body attached to a cornflake, but this was found to be only a burnt cornflake.
Five samples of bread contained foreign matter. One contained gear oil, another general dirt,
the third a piece of grape stalk, the fourth a sultana and a currant, and the fifth sample a nail.
Some cheese and celery biscuits were stated to have made two ladies ill, and examination showed
they contained 30 per cent. of fat with Reichert value of 10.9, indicating that 60 per cent. of the
fat was margarine type fat. The biscuits were, moreover, overcooked and nauseating to taste.
Some fruit wholemeal biscuits contained only 1.44 per cent. of fruit and this was considered
insufficient to justify their description as fruit biscuits.
A coffee cake mix contained no coffee and the ingredients did not disclose any coffee, so that the
label was misleading. It was an American product and, when sold in England, should be labelled
in such a manner as to make its composition clear. A custard tart contained some black matter
in the filling. This consisted of insect parts, plant tissue and general dirt, and had possibly become
contaminated by falling dirt in the factory.
A veal cutlet consisted of minced meat with 7 per cent. starch filler, whereas a veal cutlet should
consist of one piece of meat and be a cutlet. Another veal cutlet submitted was contaminated with
eggs of the house fly.
Some canned ham was submitted with the complaint that it had an objectionable flavour. On
opening the can the odour was not objectionable, the colour was good, but the meat was rather
watery. The bacteriological count was low and no antibiotics could be detected, so that it was
impossible to see any reason for the complaint of an objectionable odour. Two further cans of cooked
shoulder ham were examined. The meat was discoloured and the bacteriological counts were high.
Spoilage was probably due to inadequate processing.
Some braised beef hearts in rich sauce contained only 46 per cent. total meat, which was
considered insufficient since it has been agreed by the Association of Public Analysts and British
Food Manufacturers that braised meat must contain not less than 95 per cent. of meat and braised
meat in gravy not less than 75 per cent. of meat.
Some beef sausages contained 47 per cent. total meat but as this is not much below 50 per cent.,
the quantity of meat usually expected for a beef sausage, they were reported as inferior. Other