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mercury are causing more ill-health among children than was formerly recognised. The Committee
have also been asked to examine the whole subject of food preservatives.
Colouring Matter in Food Regulations.—The Colouring Matter in Food Regulations, 1957, were
considered and the Food Standards Committee issued a report making recommendations for amendments
to these regulations. The Ministry is now adopting the policy of keeping Statutory Instruments
constantly under review and amending them, if necessary, fairly frequently. It is now
suggested that six of the existing food colours should be withdrawn from the list, that titanium
dioxide should be permitted only for the surface colouring of food, that the colouring of citrus fruit
should be forbidden, and that specifications of purity should be introduced. On the other hand it
it suggested that another black colour should be provisionally added to the permitted list and that
two named carotenoids should be permitted. It is noted that no organic blue colour will now be
permitted in food if the recommendations are adopted and it is a remarkable thing that no natural
food appears to be coloured blue.
Probably the most important proposed piece of legislation is the suggestion that the control of
foods should be separated from that of drugs and that the whole of drug legislation should be
brought under one main umbrella. The present proposals would, however, retain many of the
existing anomalies of control, and doubtless more consideration will be given to this in the near
future. During the year The Food Standards Committee issued a Report on Food Labelling and,
although the recommendations included some 72 provisions, there is little doubt that many of the
proposals will have to be modified.
The Meat (Treatment) Regulations, 1964, prohibit the addition of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid,
nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and any of their salts or derivatives to raw and unprocessed meat
intended for human consumption. Unfortunately the definition of the word ' processed ' does not
clarify exactly whether products such as sausages and salamis would be considered as processed or
not. Proposals were issued for canned meat products and also for meat pies. Doubtless many of
these proposals are being contested behind the scenes, but it will be a great advantage if the drafts
can come into force without too much amendment.
The Dried Milk Regulations, 1964, will come into operation on the 11th March, 1965. The chief
modifications introduced are the maximum and minimum percentages of milk fat required for
grades of milk powder other than full cream powder, and regulations for the labelling of such products.
There is also a proposal to amend the present Skimmed Milk with Non-Fat Regulations, 1960.
During the year the Ministry issued a provisional method for the testing of milk for the presence
of antibiotics. It is very seldom, however, that the presence of antibiotics can be proved in bulk
milk.
Fresh Mineral Hydrocarbons in Food Regulations were issued during the year. Besides increasing
the amount of paraffin hydrocarbons permitted in or on foods, they also lay down specifications
for the quality of such hydrocarbons. The difficulty of enforcing regulations regarding the quality
of liquid paraffin employed in other countries for coating citrus or dried prunes, currants, sultanas
or raisins to be sold in Great Britain will be appreciated. The Soft Drinks Regulations, 1963,
which should have come into force in 1964, were revoked and replaced by the Soft Drinks Regulations,
1964, which will come into operation on the 2nd June, 1965. These Regulations will permit
the use of cyclamates for sweetening soft drinks and presumably, therefore, Regulations will be
introduced to permit the use of these compounds in other foods, such as diabetic jams. These
Regulations also require the disclosure of the presence of artificial sweeteners in soft drinks and
prescribe standards for semi-sweet and low calorie soft drinks.
Thomas McLachlan,
Public Analyst."
Food—Adulterated or Unsatisfactory Samples.
Eleven of the fifty-four unsatisfactory samples referred to in the Analyst's report concerned technical
faults in labelling or description. After consultation with the manufacturers or importers the labels
were revised or corrected. The remainder of the samples adversely reported upon were dealt with
informally. A complaint was received that a portion of savoury meat pie purchased at a public house
in the Borough was found to contain a piece of adhesive first-aid dressing. Legal proceedings were
instituted under section 2 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, and resulted in a fine of £10 with two guineas
costs.
Unsound Food.
Approximately seven tons of food were voluntarily surrendered for destruction and certified as
being unsound and unfit for human consumption. Details are given in Table 17, page 36. No large
consignments calling for special action were involved and when destruction of the unsound food on