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102
There has been a decided increase in the number of adulterated milk
samples. Samples containing 10 per cent. of added water are now rarely
met with but, during the year, out of samples taken from restaurants 17
have shown from 10.2 to 44.5 per cent. of added water, the average figure
being 22.4 per cent. There are also signs that the old habit of trusting to
the quality of the milk and adding one gallon of water to every churn of 17
gallons has not yet disappeared. Milk would require an original solids-notfat
percentage of 9.0 and a freezing point of -0.561° C. to stand the addition
of this amount of water which would reduce it to the limits of 8.5 per centsolids-not-fat
and a freezing point of -0.530° C. Usually the resulting mixture
was slightly below the minimum limits and was returned as a poor quality
sample. Samples C 93, C 100, B 72 and B 79 in the Table are samples of
this kind. They were purchased informally from the same vendor on successive
days. Finally the Sampling Officer obtained a sample on delivery at the shop
and later a sample was bought from the vendor.
The first of these samples showed 8.78 per cent. solids-not-fat and a freezing
point of -0.540° C. The second sample showed 8.53 per cent. solids-not-fat
and a freezing point of -0.525° C. : 2.8 per cent. of water was therefore
contained in the second sample. As this sample, however, contained more
than the minimum requirement of solids-not-fat and the depression of the
freezing point was only slightly less than the minimum, the sample was not
condemned. (In a similar case described later, legal proceedings were taken
and a conviction obtained.)
Sample C 334. This sample contained 4.10 per cent. of fat and 8.30
per cent, of solids-not-fat, a deficiency of 2.4 per cent. of solids-not-fat. The
freezing point was -0.504° C., which showed the presence of at least 4.9 per cent.
of added water.
The certificate of a Public Analyst, under the Food and Drugs Act, is
sufficient evidence in law of the facts stated therein, but he must attend the
Court if either side requires him to be present.
It had been previously intimated to me at the Court that it was the
intention when a suitable occasion arose to contest the results obtained by
the freezing point method and this sample was selected for the purpose. It
was contended that the milk, which contained a high percentage of fat, could
not possibly have been watered as it had been taken direct from the cowshed,
and it was stated that a number of witnesses were present who would say
that the milk had not been tampered with. A chemist who gave evidence
for the defence stated that the freezing point determination was unreliable,