View report page

90
17 samples were taken on arrival at railway stations, one
of which was found adulterated.
Informal Samples. The reasons for taking informal
samples were detailed in my last Annual Report. 84 such
samples were taken in 1913, and 3 were found adulterated;
one of these was butter which proved to be three-fourths
margarine, and the other two were cream containing preservatives
not declared on the label. Two formal samples of
cream taken subsequently from the same vendors were found
to contain no preservatives. A sample of butter taken subsequently
formally from the vendor of the three-fourths
margarine butter was found to be similarly composed, and
he was fined 40s. and 23s. costs.
10. A record is kept of all analyses of milk made by the
Public Analyst. The average percentage of fat in unadulterated
samples have been found to be the same each
year, viz., 3.6, and of non-fatty solids from 8.8 to 8.7
per cent.
10a. Food Reform. It is desirable in the interests of
health that a sufficient amount of pure food should be consumed
and it is also specially important that those with limited
incomes should know what articles of food are most nutritious
in proportion to their cost. Efforts have been made in recent
years to give instruction in this matter, particularly in the
value of oatmeal, whole-meal and standard breads, and of the
pulses—peas, beans, and lentils, which contain a larger
amount of proteid than other vegetable foods. The following
particulars, kindly supplied by the Secretary of the largest
trading society in the Borough, are interesting in showing