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Adulteration of Food:
During the year9 463 samples of various foodstuffs and drugs
were purchased for examination by the Public Analyst;, Mr. D.D. Moir, M.Sc.,
F.R.I.C., to whom I am indebted for the following observations on the
year" s work and for his valuable and ready advice at all times*
Public Analyst's Comments:
" New legislation during the year has been confined largely to
a tidying up process involving amendments to or revision of earlier
Regulations,, A brief notice of each of these Regulations might be of
interesto
The Salad Cream Regulations. 1966, although re-enacting the basic
requirement for typically British Salad Cream or Mayonnaise, naMely
minima of 25% edible vegetable oil and 1,35% of egg yolk solids,
recognise the existence of a large variety of other salad dressings.
Hitherto, these latter dressings had to bear a specific disclaimer on the
label, the enforcement of which sometimes put the enforcement authority
in an embarrassing position. The need for this disclaimer for an article
which is not described as Salad Cream or Mayonnaise and does not come
within a definition thereof has been dropped,,
The Mineral Oil in Food Regulations, 1966. The previous Regulation (1964)
included a limit test for polycyclic hydrocarbons, a potentially toxic
constituent of wax. but in practice this test was found to be unworkable*
The new test, which is set out in considerable detail, requires a sample
of over 2 pounds of solid mineral hydrocarbon, and although the Regulations
are designed to control the composition of articles like chewing gum, the
test can only be carried out on the wax ingredient as used in the factory,
The Butter Regulations, 1966, (not yet in force) include more definitions
and labelling requirements for butter (including whey butter) and salted
and unsalted butter.
The Colouring Matters in Food Regulations, 1966. Six of the previously
permitted colours are withdrawn aid one (a black colour) has been added.
thereby reducing the pennitted number of artificial coal tar colours from
30 to 25. Many people would say there is room for further reduction, but
further legislation will no doubt follow attempts to co-ordinate food
colours on an international scale.
Similarly, The Antioxidant in Food Regulations, 1966. make technical
adjustments to this type of food additive to conform with recent scientific
research.
Finally, The Skimmed Milk and Non Milk Fat (Amendment) Regulations, 1966.
make it permissible to use a new liquid product containing vegetable oil
as a Baby Food.
These six examples emphasise the wide scope of modern Food
Legislation, but we are still anxiously awaiting the Regulations for Meat
and Canned Meat, Sausages and Meat Pies which will serve to complete,
together with the Cheese Regulations (coming into force in 1967), the
essential control of foods used in large quantities.
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