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(v) Milk and Dairies Orders, 1926 and 1938: Inspection of Dairy
Herds.—Two inspections were made by the Veterinary Officers of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Ministry's Divisional Inspector
states that no cows were found to be suffering from tuberculosis.
(vi) Legal Proceedings.—16 complaints of the presence of foreign
bodies in milk were received and investigated during 1948. Legal proceedings
were taken in 6 cases, involving 2 firms. One was fined a total of £105 in
respect of 5 cases, and the other was fined £20 and £2 2s. costs in respect
of one case.
(vii) Registration.—No application for registration was refused during
1948.
Articles of Food Surrendered.
During the year the following articles were surrendered and condemned
as being unfit for the food of man:—
Baking Powder—184 lbs.; Biscuits—17 lbs.; Butter, Margarine and
Cooking Fat—4 lbs. 10 ozs.; Cereals—9 cwt. 84½ lbs., 141 packets and
39 tins; Cheese—184¼ lbs.; Confectionery—88¾ lbs. and 136 packets;
Chocolate—155½ lbs. and 1,301 bars; Cake—89 lbs.; Cake and Pie
Fillings—159 lbs.; Cocoa—35 lbs.; Coffee—17½ lbs. and 3 bottles;
Chocolate Spread—2 packets; Cordials—2 bottles; Eggs (shell)—1,270;
Eggs (dried)-—27 packets; Fish (wet)—37 cwt. 52½ lbs.; Fish (tinned)—
1,131 tins; Fish (cakes)—17; Fish (paste)—402 jars; Fish (shell)—66 lbs.,
1 case, and 11 gallons; Fruit (tinned)—713 tins; Fruit (bottled)—10
bottles; Fruit (dried)—220½ lbs. and 99 boxes; Flavourings—1 bottle
and 12 tins; Foods (medicinal)—8 jars, 30 tins and 36 lbs.; Gelatine—
10 lbs.; Gravy Mixtures—2 bottles and 5 packets; Jam, Preserves, Jellies,
etc.—510 tins, 10 jars and 6 packets; Meat (dehydrated)—342 lbs.;
Meat (fresh)—1 ton, 15 cwts. 83½ lbs.; Meat (tinned)—1,931 tins; Meat
(paste)—19 jars; Meat (pies)—90; M.O.F. Emergency Rations—372 tins;
Milk (dried)—3 tins; Milk (tinned)—1,999 tins; Puddings—7 tins;
Pudding (black)—113½ lbs.; Poultry—22½ lbs.; Pickles—1,992 jars and
235 tins; Pudding Mixture—77 packets and 87 lbs.; Rabbits—18;
Soups (tinned)—117 tins; Soups (powdered)—21 lbs.; Suet—29 lbs.;
Sugar—550¼ lbs.; Salt—9 packets; Salad Dressing—2 jars and 1 bottle;
Spices—65¼ lbs.; Tea—37¼ lbs.; Vegetables (tinned)—1,370 tins;
Vegetables (dried)—26 lbs.; Vinegar—1 bottle; Yeast (dried)—65 lbs.
Foreign Bodies in Food.
12 complaints were received during 1948 of the presence of foreign
bodies in foodstuffs. All were investigated and letters of warning served in
4 cases.
Food and Drugs Act.—During 1948, 344 samples (340 formal and 4
informal) of Food and Drugs were obtained; 4 formal samples and 2 informal
samples were not satisfactory as follows:—
(a) Milk (formal).—The sample was found to be deficient in milk
fat to the extent of 7 per cent. of the normal quantity proper to natural
milk. A letter of warning was sent to the retailer concerned.
(b) Milk Powder (informal).—The sample did not reconstitute into
a satisfactory milk in that it rapidly settled out on standing and curdled
on heating, and had a strong acid taste. Analysis showed that the
acidity, in terms of lactic acid, amounted to 4.35 per cent. The stock of
milk powder, at a canteen of the Schools Meals Service, was condemned.
(c) Gin (formal).—The sample was found to have a strength of
only 39.5 degrees Under Proof which corresponded to a dilution with 6½
per cent. of water.