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23
A further complaint was received about the quality of some chocolate cherry flavoured liqueurs
as the chocolate coatings were broken and dried out. Your analyst agreed with the complaint, but
his chief objection was that the so-called liqueur contained practically no alcohol and therefore the
chocolates should not have been labelled 'Chocolate Cherry Flavoured Liqueurs 'but' Cherry
Imitation Liqueur Chocolates'. The distributors were relucant to use the word 'Imitation' and
iinally agreed to amend their label to ' Cherry Liqueur Flavoured Chocolates '.
Some chocolate coins contained 10 parts per million of lead, whereas chocolate comes under the
heading of other foods which are permitted to contain 2 parts per million only. The Lead in Food
Regulations are a trifle inconsistent inasmuch as cocoa butler may contain 5 parts per million of
lead on the fat free dry basis, whereas chocolate, including the fat and sugar, is restricted to 2 parts
per million.
A filling prepared from ground poppy seeds was mouldy and infested with mites. The declaration
of ingredients was also incorrect. Water was included as an ingredient, although it need not be,
but any ingredient for the presence of which a claim is made must be placed in its correct order of
magnitude. A nut filling was similarly incorrectly labelled, but the product appeared to be satisfactory
in itself.
Two flakey pastry apple pies were found to be covered on the interior with a heavy mould growth
of Penicillium glaucum, and were unfit for consumption. They were at least ten and probably
more days old.
A chocolate eclair was badly moulded throughout. If the eclair had been kept refrigerated this
mould growth might have taken two to three weeks to develop, but under favourable conditions the
growth could have occurred within five days.
The labels of two samples of prune juice which were considered to be misleading apparently
complied with the U.S.A. requirements. The liquids contained only 19.2 per cent, and 19.3 per
cent, respectively of total solid matter and were labelled ' Prune Juice. A water extract of dried
prunes '. If the label claimed that the products were ' A watery extract of dried prunes ' the
matter would be entirely different, but under the Pharmacy and Medicines Act a water extract
would mean that the prunes had been extracted with water and concentrated.
Three artificial flavouring essences were incorrectly labelled as extracts. According to the
Labelling of Food Order these may be described as ' flavouring ' or ' flavouring essences ' but not
extracts. An essence is obtained by distillation whereas an extract is a preparation made by
alcoholic or other solution of the active principles of a substance in concentrated form.
The manufacturers of a low calorie salad dressing endeavoured to contract out of the Food
Standards Order by using the title ' Salad Dressing '. The wording of the Order, however, is quite
definite that it includes ' salad cream, mayonnaise and other salad dressing '. The label bore no
declaration of ingredients, and if manufacturers of a product wish to contract out of a Standards
Order they must declare the ingredients used in manufacture and make it clear that the product
does not comply with the particular Order concerned. The manufacturers agreed to comply with
the Labelling of Food Regulations.
The predominating flavour of some ' Enchiladas ' (filled pancakes) with chili sauce was that of
thyme, but there was no declaration of the presence of thyme or other herbs. It was considered
that the word ' Chili' was also used incorrectly since the quantity of paprika was smaller than the
quantity of tomato puree, whereas tomato puree is approximately six times concentrated tomato
juice and the Enchiladas had no appreciable flavour of chili at all.
Some Tortillas appeared to be thin flat cakes made of ground maize. According to the recipes on
the label they were intended to be used in a similar manner to Italian macaroni pastes. The
ingredients were not stated on the label, whereas only wheat flour products are exempt from such a
declaration.
A rice pudding with preserved fruits was incorrectly labelled. Some ' vanilla granules ' which
were present were described as consisting of ' amylaceous matters, sugar, and agar-agar ' without
reference to the artificial colouring or flavouring. The so-called fruits were of three colours. They
all appeared to be of the same vegetable matter, but with different colourings, and it was impossible
to identify the vegetable matter.
A food thickener appeared to be a dried, powdered, aqueous extract of carrageen moss and in
accordance with the Labelling of Food Order must be labelled as such.