View report page

92
it was not necessary to proceed to the collection of samples at the
farm, the original sample being of genuine composition. In regard
to the remaining two applications, arrangements were made with
the authorities in whose areas the farms were situated and samples
were taken with the following results :—-
Farm A.—First sample—2.0 per cent, fat abstracted.
Second sample—2.7 per cent, fat abstracted.
A letter of warning was addressed to the farmer concerned.
Farm B.—Two samples of genuine composition.
Third sample—3.0 per cent, fat abstracted.
This farmer submitted a statement that he was in a position
to improve the quality of the milk he was sending to London by
altering the hours of milking and excluding the milk of certain
cows, and this undertaking was accepted.
During the year attention was given to the practice of a firm
of dairymen in the Borough who were selling and publicly advertising
under the description " Half-price Cream " or " Fruit Cream " a
product obtained by mixing ordinary full cream with a quantity
of milk, which was then homogenised. The mixture contained
approximately 25 per cent. of butter fat.
It appeared that a purchaser of the product might consider he
was obtaining ordinary cream at half price.
The Council secured an Opinion of Counsel, who reported that
he was of the opinion that the mixture was " artificial cream "
within the meaning of the Artificial Cream Act, 1929, and that an
offence had been committed under the provisions of the Act. He
further advised that the sale probably constituted an offence under
Sec. 2 of the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928, in that the
substance was not of the nature and quality of the article demanded
and was to the prejudice of the purchaser.
The firm in question have now resorted to removing cream
and sub-strata of cream at one operation and are also buying cream
under guarantee from creameries in Ireland which contains a
maximum of 25 per cent. butter fat. As there is no legal standard
of fat content and the firm are not actually adding milk to cream
purchased by them, they are no longer contravening the Artificial
Cream Act, 1929, and, in the opinion of the Town Clerk, a prosecution
would not be successful.
Butter Factories are required by the Food and Drugs (Adulteration)
Act, 1928, to be registered by the owner or occupier with the
Food and Drugs Authority.