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To quote from the Food Standards Committee's Report:
"Lead is one of the most widespread and serious of the metallic contaminants of food
and drink. Many foods contain naturally small amounts of lead; but the principal sources of
lead contamination are the use of lead, lead alloys and lead compounds in food processing
plant, in the piping by which water and other fluids are conveyed, and in agriculture
insecticides.
Lead, unlike most other poisons, is stored in the body, and however little is absorbed
and stored, there is always the danger that this stored lead may be released and produce
toxic effects. Lead poisoning may be brought to light following acute infection and certain
other clinical conditions may result in release of immobilised lead.
The daily amount of lead ingested is the sum of the minute quantities present in the
components of the diet, each of which may contribute apparently insignificant amounts, but
the total daily intake in the food may, in course of time, add up to a possible hazard to
health. The only way of removing this hazard is to eliminate lead from foods and drink."
Such contaminated Teas are detained in the Port of London or at City Warehouses until
acceptable arrangements have been made for blending with other teas in such proportions that the
lead content is reduced well within the recommended limit of 10 parts per million.
The source of this contamination in Formosa teas has not been established but investigations
are being carried out at source. Lead foil linings, at one time generally used for chested
tea, have been replaced by aluminium foil linings as a contribution towards the elimination of
this type of contamination.
The circumstances arising from the control of tea imports have accentuated the anomaly of
differing standards applicable by the Port and City of London. In the City of London, the Corporation
are the Food and Drugs Authority and the powers of the Food and Drugs Act 1955 are
exercisable by them. The Port Health Authority are not a Food and Drugs Authority and are
limited to the exercise of the powers granted by the Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations
1937 and 1948.
Under the Imported Food Regulations the criteria justifying condemnation are disease, unsoundness,
unwholesomeness or unfitness for human consumption.
These Regulations would doubtless justify action in the case of excessive lead content as
being unfit for human consumption, and for mould or staleness as being unwholesome, but it is
very doubtful whether action could legally be taken in the case of an adulterant such as sand.
The Public Analyst also finds himself in difficulties in applying differing criteria to the
same commodity.
This unsatisfactory position has been referred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food, who in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, are giving the matter consideration.
TEA SAMPLING
During the period covered by this Report 3,571 samples of tea have been taken and submitted
for examination.
Of these 3,571 samples, 3,567 have been found to be satisfactory. The remainder were reported
upon as having excessive amounts of lead present and the owners were asked to use the
tea in a blend in such proportions that the final blend contained lead in amounts less than the
recommended 10 parts per million, or the tea was re-exported.
PUBLIC HEALTH (PRESERVATIVES ETC. IN FOOD) REGULATIONS, 1925-1958
COLOURING MATTER IN FOOD REGULATIONS, 1957
Shipments of oranges are regularly sampled in the Docks and at City Wharves for chemical
analysis, specifically for the presence of prohibited colouring matter and the rot and mould
suppressant Thiourea, the use of which, being a preservative, is prohibited.
Routine sampling is normally carried out informally without detention of the cargo.
In June, 11 samples of Brazilian oranges were taken from a shipment in the Port of London
of which the Public Analyst reported 3 contained Thiourea and 2 prohibited colouring matter.
In view of these reports it was decided to detain future cargoes of Brazilian oranges for the
analyses of samples taken formally in accordance with the procedure required by the Public
Health (Preservatives etc. in Food) Regulations, 1925-1958.
The first shipment which was detained and from which formal samples were taken consisted
of 4,000 cases of Brazilian oranges. There being a ready market on the Continent for oranges,
the importers immediately requested a release for re-export to Rotterdam, which was agreed. The
Public Analyst's reports subsequently received showed that of 21 samples, 9contained Thiourea
and 2 prohibited colouring matter.
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