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64
Dried Milk and Condensed Milk.
6 samples of dried milk and 8 samples of condensed milk were genuine.
These samples complied with the requirements of the Dried Milk Regulations
and Condensed Milk Regulations respectively as regards percentage
composition of milk fat and milk solids, and each tin contained sufficient dried
or condensed milk to produce the number of pints of standard milk as stated
on the label.
Each sample was correctly labelled.
Flour.
6 samples were found to be genuine, and no "improvers" or bleaching
agents were detected.
The nitrogen peroxide bleaching process and the use of phosphates as
"improvers" were discussed in Dr. J. M. Hamill's Report in 1911.
In the Report of the Departmental Committee on "The Treatment of
Flour with Chemical Substances" issued by the Ministry of Health (February
14th, 1927), the action of nitrogen trichloride, ammonium persulphate, acid
calcium phosphate, chlorine and benzoyl peroxide on flour is given.
The following statements occur in this Report:—
(1) The Committee do not seriously doubt that the use of improvers
has been a valuable aid to home millers in their competition with
overseas millers, and that its prohibition might be prejudicial to
them.
(2) With regard to bleaching agents, the Committee have little doubt
that by appropriate treatment, flour which would otherwise have
to be sold as "household" can be "lifted" into the patent
grade.
(3) The opinion of the Committee is that so long as a great demand
exists in this country for white bread some form of bleaching
process must be permitted.
(4) There are bakers . . . who insist on being supplied with
untreated flour. It is important that this demand should be
met, and if it cannot be satisfied by the home millers, it will be
met by further recourse to imported flour.
(5) While we consider that a staple and indispensable foodstuff such
as flour, the purity and wholesomeness of which are of cardinal
importance to the community, should be jealously guarded
against unnecessary treatment with foreign substances, we are