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solids-not-fat, this quantity of solids-not-fat being excessive for a cream as normally separated from
milk. A 'cream cheese ' had only 4.5 per cent. of fat, and 23 per cent. of total solid matter and
was, therefore, obviously a 'curd cheese' and not a ' cream cheese '. A sample of butter contained
18.77 per cent. of water whereas the maximum permitted quantity is 16 per cent. A product
submitted as 'ice cream 'was in fact an 'ice lolly', and contained no fat of any description. Some
unsalted ice cream margarine was badly stained due to the presence of cladosporium mould, while
other moulds such as aspergillus and penicillium were also present. This was the result of improper
storage making the margarine unfit for consumption. A steak and kidney pie was deficient in meat
and contained only 20 per cent. of meat, whereas it must contain not less than 25 per cent. A can
of corned beef contained 550 p.p.m. of tin and 290 p.p.m. of iron, probably resulting from contamination
with cooling water entering a defective scoring line, whilst another can of corned beef
and a follow-up sample both possessed an unpleasant odour, due to contamination of the can seams
at the ends of the cans. The tin coating of the iron plate was too thin and the machine tooling
was also defective. Some Pork Brawn contained a piece of hide with long coarse black bristle adherent
to it, showing that the pig had been improperly singed and scraped and that the head had been
improperly prepared before making the brawn.
The contents of two cans of Whole Roast Duck were decomposed and contained numerous gram
positive, spore-bearing, filamentous bacteria. A canned Pork Loin was also unfit for consumption
as it was not sterile and contained rod shaped bacteria and viable gram-positive cocci. Some meat
pies were mouldy on the upper surfaces of the meat and, even allowing for the hot weather at the
time, it was probable that they had been made for over a week and exposed to atmospheric conditions
before sale. Some canned spam was contaminated with fly eggs, the contamination probably
having occurred after removal of the product from the can. One very small larva, probably of a
house fly or similar species was found on the outside of the transparent wrapper of some sausages
but no other larvae could be detected in the sausages. From the odour it was probable that they
had been manufactured for well over a week, or if kept in a refrigerator, for a fortnight, so that it
was impossible to state where the contamination had occurred. A canned Turkey soup contained
9.45 per cent. of total solid matter and 0.90 per cent. of protein, whereas the manufacturers claimed
1.25 per cent. of protein. Some crystals found in a can of salmon were crystals of magnesium ammonium
phosphate (Struvite). This is commonly found in canned salmon, canned lobster, and
similar products, but for these crystals to have become so large the salmon must have been canned
for an unduly long time. Six cans of ' ravioli in tomato sauce ' were all blown, but examination
proved them to be sterile and the blowing was due to hydrogen swelling. The tin, calculated on the
contents of 2 cans, was 117 and 82 parts per million respectively and in your analyst's opinion this
should never be more than 100 parts per million, although the Ministry has recommended that a limit
of up to 250 parts per million should be permitted.
Two samples of bread contained foreign matter, one loaf containing carbonised bread from a
baking tin, and the other (a sliced white loaf) brown bread folded in after fermentation. The
frequent complaints received about bread indicate carelessness in bakeries. Some forcemeat contained
4.46 per cent. of fat of which 13.5 per cent. consisted of free fatty acids. This is caused by the
enzyme present in the spices and herbs used in forcemeat and may be overcome by the use of very
dry rusk or other cereal filler. A breakfast food claimed slimming properties, which were not
justified, and also a high Vitamin C content without disclosure of the quantity. The ingredients
were also disclosed in an incorrect order of magnitude. The manufacturers agreed to amend the
label. A stick of rock, stated to have caused sickness, possessed an unpleasant flavour and contained
five parts per million of arsenic, whereas the permitted limit is 1 part per million, otherwise no
reason could be found for the actual sickness. Some glace pineapple cubes in both an opened and
an unopened box were mouldy and this was due to improper preparation. The purple colour in a
walnut melba sauce was found to be due to iron reacting with the tannins of the walnut. Three
tins contained respectively 18, 16 and 12 parts per million of iron. The cans were lacquered inside,
but a strip of unlacquered tinplate had been soldered at the top and where this had rusted, iron was
dissolved into the sauce.
Complaint was received regarding the presence of fat in Demerara sugar and this amounted to
0.95 per cent. The manufacturers stated that fat was not present at any stage of manufacture, or
at the factory, and as contamination was unlikely to have been at the premises where the sugar was
sold, it was difficult to say where it could have taken place. Some lemonade was stated to have an
unpleasant taste and possessed a very strong odour of petrol. Whilst the stopper was dirty, the
contamination appeared to be inside the bottle rather than on the stopper. It was thought possible
that the contamination originated with the dirty stopper and that the lemon oil flavouring had
attracted the petrol odour away from the stopper. Numerous insect pupae and minute green particles
of partially digested plant tissue found in a can of peaches were probably due to an insect,