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FOOD AND DRUGS
Part I of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, deals with the composition and
labelling of food and drugs, food unfit for human consumption, hygiene in connection
with the sale, etc., of food, registration of certain food premises and food
poisoning.
Part II deals with milk, dairies and cream substitutes.
Part III regulates the provision and management of markets.
Part IV has to do with slaughterhouses and knackers' yards and the power to
provide cold stores in public slaughterhouses.
Parts V and VI relate to administration.
Regulations and Orders made under this Act make further provisions in relation
to food and drugs.
Composition and Labelling of Food and Drugs
A very large number of natural foods were examined during the course of visits
to food premises, but no defects were noted. A total of 136 samples of milk were
examined in the department's laboratory and all were found to be satisfactory.
Of the 484 samples of food and drugs submitted to the Public Analyst, 52 were
reported as unsatisfactory.
A number of meat products were deficient in meat content by reference to
the established codes of practice, and the manufacturers, after warning, withdrew
the stocks from sale.
An ever widening variety of imported foods is available to the shopper to-day.
Some of these foods are from countries with a lower standard of food production
than our own and samples are sometimes found to be unsatisfactory. Adulteration
of food by the addition of fraudulent ingredients, or the abstraction of natural
constituents is most unusual. The sophistication of foodstuffs and a complexity
of standards for additions such as emulsifiers, improvers, preservatives, colouring
matter, etc., require constant supervision.
The Labelling of Food Order, 1953, requires the majority of pre-packed food
to bear a label giving information as to the name and address of the packer, the
name of the food and the ingredients of which it is composed. Most cases of
infringements of this Order have been corrected by the co-operation of the firms
concerned. Four cases were under consideration at the end of the year in respect
of possible misleading labelling.
The Public Analyst has been particularly concerned about possibly exaggerated
nutritional and slimming claims made by some national food producers.
A tin of imported vitaminised apple juice was re-labelled following representations
after it was found to be 86% deficient in vitamin content claimed.
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