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Prosecutions under the Food and Drugs Act, 1955
7 prosecutions were instituted under the Food & Drugs Act, 1955, and details are given
hereunder.
Bottle of milk containing a piece of paper - proceedings were instituted against the dairy
company, but the case was dismissed on a technical point of evidence.
Glass in wrapped cut brown loaf - the defendants pleaded extenuating circumstances owing to
reglazing of the bakery windows taking place at the time of the offence, but a fine of £5 was
imposed.
Cigarette end in Banbury cake - the baker was fined £5 with 16/- costs.
Nail in wrapped cut white loaf - a one inch nail was embedded in a slice of this loaf, but
there being no evidence as to how it could have got there, the case was dismissed on payment
of £1. 4s. 6d. costs.
Mouse dirt in loaf of bread - the baker was fined £3.
Foreign matter in milk bottle - a fine of £5 and 30/- costs were imposed on the dairy company
in respect of foreign matter adhering to the interior of the bottle and also suspended in the
milk.
Sediment in bottle of orange juice - a sediment of sand and cement was found in a pint
bottle of orange Juice sold by a dairy company, and a fine of £2 was imposed.
There were several other incidents involving foreign bodies in foodstuffs.
A complaint was received of mouse excrement being found in a slice of bread purchased
in a public house and supplied by a local baker. Legal action was authorised but the
witnesses for the prosecution declined to appear in oourt and proceedings had to be dropped.
A chocolate Swiss Roll containing an unidentified foreign body was surrendered to the
Department but examination by the Public Analyst showed it to be a plastic seal from a
colouring essence bottle. In view of the harmless nature of the seal, no proceedings were
instituted.
A steak and kidney pie with a growth of mould on the meat filling was surrendered,
but owing to the fact that both the purchaser and the retailer had retained the pie over
the manufacturer's guaranteed time limit, no action could be taken.
A bristle, probably from a pastry brush was found in a bread roll, no action was
taken apart from a warning to the baker.
A cut loaf with tobacco and cardboard fibre inserted between the slices was surrendered
to the Department but as this was an obvious case of deliberate sabotage by an employee of a
local bakery, after consultation with the management, no action was taken.
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