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34.
FOOD & DRUGS ADMINISTRATION (Contd.)
SAMPLING
Random sampling having been proved to be of very little purpose, the
policy this year has been directed along systematic lines from which helpful
conclusions could be arrived at.
Certain commodities have been scheduled for "sampling series", records
of results to be kept, which will enable suitable comparisons to be made-thus
stimulating interest in food compositions.
Sausages
Although a meat product not subject to any specific legislative standard,
it is generally recognised that a beef sausage should contain a minimum of 5$
meat and a pork sausage 65$^ meat
It was decided to discover by a series of samples what standard of meat
content was being maintained in the sausages offered for sale in Shoreditch
with the following results.
A total coverage of 51 samples were taken, divided into 29 pork and 22
beef and only 6 samples of sausages were reported upon in unfavourable terms.
The makers were informed and advised to check their ingredient weights; repeat
samples were found to conform to the accepted standards.
Lard
A series of samples of a particular commodity which was operated during
the year, after interchange of correspondence with importing companies, had
its finality in agreement on all sides.
The particular commodity was lard for which there is no legal standard
as such, but the composition of which is governed by The Antioxidants in Food
Regulations 1958 allowing the presence of c ertain antioxidants within
prescribed limits in lard} this then brings the commodity within the venue of
The Labelling of Foods Order 1953 requiring that each of the ingredients of a
prepacked food for sale by retail shall be declared on the label.
Twenty-one samples of different brands of lard from 4 different countries
were taken and submitted for chemical analysis. Eleven samples were found upon
laboratory examination not to conform to the requirements of The Labelling of
Food Order 1953 in that the commodities contained antioxidants not declared on
the label.
The letters sent to the offending companies were at first received with
certain doubts as to the veracity of the alleged offence, but when the Lard
Association accepted Counsel's ruling that an offence was being committed, all
companies rectified their omission.