View report page

23
(5) A complaint was received with respect to a piece of metal in a
wrapped toffee. It was decided to institute proceedings in this case and the
defendants were fined £2 with £2. 2s. Od. costs.
(6) A complaint was received of foreign matter in a bottle of milk.
This was found to consist of slimy fragments of a mould growth, the dark
colour being due to a brown spore formation distinct from a matted
lighter colour mycelium. Proceedings were instituted in this case and the
defendants were fined £5 and £3. 3s. 0d. costs.
(7) A complaint was received with respect to a bottle of T.T. milk
containing foreign matter. This consisted of a large piece of orange yellow
skin like material together with several fragments of a black object. This
measured 1½ x 1¼. It was found on further examination to consist of a
dense mould growth including numerous mould spores, the black objects
attached being the remains of a large fly. Proceedings were instituted in
this case and the defendants were fined £5 with £5. 5s. 0d. costs.
ICE CREAM.
Fifty-one samples were submitted to the methylene blue test
and, of these thirty-nine were placed in grades I and II. Nine
were placed in grade III and three in the low category of grade
IV. The results can be said to be satisfactory. The methylene
blue test does not provide a guarantee of safety but it does
serve as a simple and practical method of grading ice-cream
according to its degree of bacterial cleanliness and samples
which consistently fail to reach grades I or II give reasonable
grounds to indicate defects in manufacture or handling requiring
further investigation. The certificate giving the results of testing
has the following note appended:—
"Owing to the numerous factors governing the hygienic
quality of ice-cream it is unwise to pay too much attention
to the bacteriological results of any single sample. Judgement
should be based rather on a series of samples. It is
suggested over a six monthly period 50 per cent of vendors
samples should fall into grade 1, 80 per cent into grades I
or II, not more than 20 per cent into grade III and none
into grade IV