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Two successful prosecutions were instituted during the year
in connection with meat deficiencies in pork sausages, and
warning letters were issued to ten manufacturers and two retailers
in connection with other types of infringements.
Having regard to the wide variety of articles sampled it
will be seen that the observations and infringements reported
upon by the Public Analyst have in the main been of a minor
character.
Public Analyst's Comments. The pattern of sampling and the
type of adulteration has followed much the same course as in
previous years. Sausages deficient in meat, ice cream deficient
in fat and shredded suet deficient in fat are not unusual
occurrences and these common articles of food are rightly given
prominence in sampling. It is however with the pre-packed
article of a semi-luxury nature that false or misleading labels
and incorrect descriptions are likely to arise and the wide
range of foodstuffs and drugs covered in the year's sampling has
revealed one or two such cases.
Perhaps the most interesting mis-description from the
Analyst's point of view was that of the sale of gelatine under
the name isinglass, the excuse for which was backed by a patent
of the mid nineteenth century and two law cases of the 1890's.
My research at the Patent Office served to expose the weakness
of this claim.
Labels and descriptions of two other samples in particular
illustrate the dislike of some manufacturers of pre-packed
articles to call a spade a spade. Tapioca Dessert (Sample No.
1617) contained only 20 per cent of tapioca as compared with 40
per cent of potato starch. As a general principle in these and
other similar cases it seems to me that the name of the article
of food should bear some relation to a major and not a minor
constituent. Again, in this and in another article of food
(Meringue Powder, Sample No. 1620) potato starch was euphemistically
described as processed farina, Such terms are contrary to
the letter and the spirit of the Labelling of Pood Order, 1950,
and should be discouraged by all possible means.
FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1938
Precautions to be taken in rooms where food
intended for sale is prepared or stored
Section 13 of the above Act requires that there shall be
provided within reasonable distance of the room suitable washing
basins and a sufficient supply of soap, clean towels, and both
hot and cold water for the use of the persons employed in the
room.
One hundred and thirty-seven visits of inspection were made
under this section to restaurants, cafes and hotel kitchens and
17