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8. A food packer was fined £125 with £5 5s. Od. costs in respect of 5 summonses.
9. A stallholder was fined £2.
10. An ice-cream vendor was fined £30 with £5 5s. Od. costs.
11. An ice-cream vendor was fined £10 with £3 3s. Od. costs.
(3) Food Sampling.
The routine sampling of foods and drugs for chemical analysis and bacteriological
examination was maintained throughout the year. The invaluable help given by the
Public Analyst and the Public Health Laboratory Service contributed much to the
effectiveness of the sampling. Sampling was carried out on a selective basis and
particular attention was given to new brands of foods on sale, to foods for which there
are legal standards and to commodities manufactured in the Borough for local and
national distribution.
Although the majority of sampling was carried out on a selective basis, some
samples were taken as a result of complaints from members of the public. One resident
was concerned about Jaffa oranges being treated with the preservative diphenyl giving
rise to possible kidney disorders. Samples were submitted and although the permitted
amount of diphenyl allowed is 100 parts per million only 24 parts per million were
found. The majority of diphenyl was found on the peel which is not normally consumed.
Marmalade made from oranges containing 40 parts per million of diphenyl
has been shown to contain only 0.1 parts per million. This arises because diphenyl is
a volatile material and most of it evaporates during the boiling process. Diphenyl has
been shown to cause reversible kidney damage to rats when fed at a level of 2500 parts
per million but not at levels below this. Tests on monkeys fed at 100 parts per million
of diphenyl showed that no effect was produced aftei one year. There have been
numerous other animal tests all showing that no damage results from ingesting larger
amounts than are present in orange peel. It is felt therefore that no objection can be
raised to the use of diphenyl particularly when it is claimed that 25% of imported
oranges which are not treated are lost due to mould attack and that treatment reduces
this to 2 per cent.
One housewife complained that sausage meat used to prepare Scotch eggs turned
the white of the egg to a bright red. A sample of the sausage meat was taken and
found to contain 11 parts per million of Red 2 G which is a permitted food colouring.
There is no statutory limit on the quantity of food colouring allowed as this is considered
to be self limiting but if used in excess could give rise to the effects which the
complainant observed.
A Blue Cheese dressing was complained of as having caused a burning sensation
of the mouth. On analysis the sample was found to contain 1.8 per cent of acetic acid,
a normal figure for this type of article. It was considered that the acidity, together
with the astringency of the blue cheese would be sufficient to cause smarting in a tender
mouth.
A resident in the Borough complained that certain shops in the district in which
she lived were selling eggs as free range eggs when in fact they were battery eggs.
Although there is no legal definition of free range eggs they are regarded as those from
poultry which have access to land. It is considered that less than 10% of eggs produced
in this country are free range. Although many members of the public think there is a
distinct difference in free range and battery eggs it can be difficult to detect the difference
by analysis. As a rule free range eggs have a deeper-coloured yolk but the colour
of the yolk of battery eggs can be intensified by the use of certain feeding stuffs and
by adding colouring matter to the poultry food. Wire markings are also considered
to be a characteristic of battery eggs as, when the egg leaves the chicken, it is covered
with a wet mucous and when layed on wire which is normally dusty the marking
remains visible. This, however can also happen with free range eggs layed on wire.
However, following the complaints, investigations were carried out and the source of
supplies ascertained. The eggs were found not to be free range. The retailers were
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