View report page

24.
Grapefruit. A complaint was received of glass in a tin of grapefruit.
The alleged glass proved to be harmless natural crystals of naringen.
Orange Drink. A complaint was received alleging that a bottle of orange
drink tasted bad. A sample was submitted to the Public Health Laboratory
and also the Public Analyst. The reports were satisfactory. The
Public Analyst made the comment that this type of drink is made from
whole oranges and prepared by comminuting and macerating the complete
orange whereby extracts and flavouring from the peel as well as the juice
of the orange are included in the drink. This process gives such drinks
a flavour different from that of the traditional orange squash. Although
the flavour of whole orange drinks are preferred by some, other people
do find them objectionable.
ICE CREAM.
Fifty-six samples were submitted to the methylene blue test and
all were placed in grade I. 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 I, 80 per cent into grades I or II, not more than 20 per cent
into grade III and none into grade IV".

It is pleasing to note that for the first time all samples
reached the high standard of grade I.