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Sampling Observations. It will be seen from the detailed
classification that of the two hundred and twenty seven samples
taken during the year, 3.52% were found to be other than genuine
and other irregularities accounted for a further 2.2% making a
total of 5.72%.
Ftor comparative purposes the figures for 1954 were 2.89%
and l.44% respectively with a total of 4 33%.
Having regard to the wide variety of articles sampled it is
gratifying to record that in no instance was it necessary to
institute proceedings in order to obtain compliance with the
requirements of the various relevant Acts, Regulations and Orders.
Comments by the Public Analyst.(Food and Drugs Act 1938, and
Relevant Regulations and Orders)
The year 1955 marks the end of a distinct era in the working
of the ftiod and Drugs Acts. World War 11 was upon us before the
1938 Act could be operated normally and much war -time and post-war
legislation tended to mask the fundamental virtues of this Act.
based as it was on traditional British outlook. The new Act of
1955, which came into force on January 1st, 1956, carries on
these traditions, but, at the same time provides for more vigorous
control of the numerous chemical substances now being added to
food. it also incorporates the best of the war-time regulations.
it will be interesting to see how the new Act works by the time
these notes are written in a year's time.
The samples taken in 1955 have, as usual, covered a wide
field and the contraventions of the Act and Regulations are noted
in detail elsewhere. The following remarks are based on my
general experience although arising from the analysis of some of
these samples.
Vitamins. The vitamin has become fully established as a
panacea for all ills and the number of different preparations
on the market have increased considerably during 1955. The
standard for the added vitamin content of margarine is now subject
to careful control by public analysts up and down the country
and margarines of British manufacture are nearly always found to
conform to standard. Occasional samples of foreign origin were
at first deficient in vltamln, but are now generally satisfactory.
Sundry claims as to the presence of vitamins in food are
controlled by the Labelling of Food Order, but the making of
false claims, either intentional or through ignorance, is not
uncommon as, for example, in the case of the pre-packed sultanas
(No.2116). Sultanas are an excellent concentrated food, but their
vitamin content is negligible.
Pre-packed foods of the fancy class are becoming more common
and are not an infrequent cause for complaint, This year the
outstanding sample in this class was the Cornish Clotted Cream
(No.2019) which proved to be Cornish only in origin and not in
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