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variety of investigations. Apart from food and drugs these include water pollution and
sewage treatment, sampling of water from swimming pools, air pollution, ventilation,
noise and vibration, fire precautions, petroleum, fertilizers and feeding stuffs,
radiochemistry and general supplies and services.
Some years ago the Ministry of Health recommended that the level of food and
drugs sampling should be approximately three samples per 1,000 population per annum.
During the year, exactly 1,000 samples comprising 11 formal and 989 informal samples
of food and drugs were taken and submitted to the Public Analyst for examination, and
it will be noted that this is in accordance with the Ministry recommendation.
Of the 1,000 samples examined, 65 were found to be unsatisfactory. Cases worthy
of mention where compositional standards were not satisfied included a marmalade
prepared according to a special formula which failed to meet the minimum requirements for
sugar; formalin and mint tablets affected by long storage; canned fish containing prohibited
preservatives; vitamin tablets which failed to satisfy fully the B.P. requirements in
respect of disintegration; and meat pies, sausages and hamburgers all with low meat
content. All unsatisfactory results were discussed with the manufacturers and importers
concerned. In some cases where commodities had been imported all available stocks
were withdrawn and returned to the country of origin. Manufacturers in other cases
agreed to examine their methods in order to bring their products up to at least minimum
requirements.
LABELLING OF FOOD ORDER
Samples of food and drugs subjected to chemical analysis were also scrutinised
to determine whether or not they complied where necessary with the requirements of the
Labelling of Food Order, 1953. Irregularities in labelling were discovered in 67
instances and in all cases the attention of manufacturers and packers or importers was
drawn to the infringements. In the majority of cases arrangements were made to print
new labels for stocks immediately or undertakings were accepted that new labels would
be designed and used as soon as existing stocks became exhausted. A summary of the
irregularities found is as follows:-
Incorrect or inadequate description 6
No name and address 11
Incorrect or inadequate list of ingredients 10
No list of ingredients 19
Misleading statements 7
Use of generic terms 8
Inadequate size of printing 5
Unsatisfactory dosage directions 1
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF OTHER FOODS
A total of 320 samples of various types of food was submitted to the laboratory
for bacteriological examination including 211 samples of frozen sea foods released
from the port without examination and 48 cans of meat packed and processed at
canneries in the district. Consumer complaints of articles of food, and specimens
obtained in the investigation of suspect cases of food poisoning and other infections
numbered 14 but no harmful organisms were found on examination. The seven
unsatisfactory samples of sea foods led to re-processinq of the product before release.
A summary of the results is given in the following table:
100